Assata: An Autobiography (Lawrence Hill Books) tells the story of Assata Shakur, political activist and ex-Black Panther leader. With a new foreward by Angela Davis Assata is the extraordinary autobiography of a Black woman struggling against racism in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. It is a signal contribution to the literature about growing up Black in America that has already taken its place alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the works of Maya Angelou.

On May 2, 1973, Black Panther Assata Shakur (AKA JoAnne Chesimard) lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed , while local, state and federal police attempted to question her about the shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that had claimed the life of a white state trooper. Shakur was incarcerated for four years prior to her conviction on flimsy evidence in 1977 as an accomplice to murder. With wit and candor, Assata Shakur recounts the experiences that led her to a life of activism and portrays the strengths, weaknesses, and eventual demise of Black and white revolutionary groups at the hands of government offices. Two years after her conviction, Assata Shakur escaped from prison. She was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides.