Assata Shakur is an American rapper and activist who was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1973. In 2013, she was granted political asylum in Cuba.
She has since become a symbol of resistance for people of color and women’s rights. In this article, we will explore some of the quotes by Assata Shakur that speak to her beliefs and philosophy.
Assata Shakur Quotes
“I have declared war on the rich who prosper on our poverty, the politicians who lie to us with smiling faces, and all the mindless, heartless, robots who protect them and their property.”
“We’re taught at such an early age to be against the communists, yet most of us don’t have the faintest idea what communism is. Only a fool lets somebody else tell him who his enemy is.”
“If you are deaf, dumb, and blind to what’s happening in the world, you’re under no obligation to do anything. But if you know what’s happening and you don’t do anything but sit on your ass, then you’re nothing but a punk.”
“I am about life. I’m gonna live as hard as i can and as full as i can until i die. And i’m not letting these parasites, these oppressors, these greedy racist swine make me kill my children in my mind, before they are even born.”
“People are tried and convicted in the newspapers and on television before they ever see a courtroom.”
“And it is that one percent, the heads of large corporations, who control the policies of news media and determine what you and I hear on radio, read in the newspapers, see on television. It is more important for us to think about where the media gets its information.”
“Before going back to college, i knew i didn’t want to be an intellectual, spending my life in books and libraries without knowing what the hell is going on in the streets. Theory without practice is just as incomplete as practice without theory. The two have to go together.”
“The rulers of this country have always considered their property more important than our lives.”
“The schools we go to are reflections of the society that created them. Nobody is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.”
“Schools in amerika are interested in brainwashing people with amerikanism, giving them a little bit of education, and training them in skills needed to fill the positions the capitalist system requires. As long as we expect amerika’s schools to educate us, we will remain ignorant.”
“I have declared war on the rich who prosper on our poverty, the politicians who lie to us with smiling faces, and all the mindless, heartless, robots who protect them and their property.”
“Constructive criticism and self-criticism are extremely important for any revolutionary organization. Without them, people tend to drown in their mistakes, not learn from them.”
“In the long run, the people are our only appeal. The only ones who can free us are ourselves.”
“Too many people in the U.S. support death and destruction without being aware of it. They indirectly support the killing our people without ever having to look at the corpses”
“My energy just couldn’t stop dancing. I was caught up in the music of struggle, and i wanted to dance.”
“We’re taught at such an early age to be against the communists, yet most of us don’t have the faintest idea what communism is. Only a fool lets somebody else tell him who his enemy is.”
“If you are deaf, dumb, and blind to what’s happening in the world, you’re under no obligation to do anything. But if you know what’s happening and you don’t do anything but sit on your ass, then you’re nothing but a punk.”
“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”
“I am a black revolutionary woman and because of this I have been charged with and accused of every crime in the book. I have been persecuted by the FBI and the CIA, labeled a terrorist and a threat to national security, jailed, put on trial, and now I am living in exile.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Assata Shakur is an amazing woman who has a lot to offer the world. Her quotes are insightful, empowering, and motivating. We should all take the time to read her work and learn from her wisdom.
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