Formerly known as Joanne Chesimard, Assata Shakur passed away in Havana, Cuba, where she was granted political refuge. Cuban officials and her daughter announced her death, citing advanced age and health issues.
As a member of the Black Liberation Army in the 1970s, Shakur initially gained national notice. He was found guilty in 1977 of the 1973 firefight death of a New Jersey state trooper. After breaking out of prison in 1979, she ultimately made her way to Cuba, where she was given asylum in 1984.
She was listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and classified as a terrorist by U.S. government over the years. During her exile, she was out of the United States’ grasp.
Long-standing, unresolved difficulties in U.S.-Cuban relations are heightened by her passing, especially in light of calls for her extradition and the memory of her life as a divisive activist and fugitive.