The REALEST BLACK WOMAN You Never Knew Existed: Convicted Cop Killer, Prison Escape: Assata Shakur

Before she became one of the most recognizable political fugitives in American history, Assata Shakur was accused of participating in a string of crimes linked to radical Black nationalist organizations during the early 1970s. Authorities connected her to several robberies, shootings, and violent incidents, though many of the charges were later dismissed or resulted in acquittals. Her life changed forever on May 2, 1973, when a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike erupted into a deadly gun battle that left New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster dead and another officer wounded. Shakur was convicted of murder and other offenses related to the shooting, receiving a life sentence. But the story didn't end there. In 1979, she pulled off one of the most dramatic prison escapes in American history, disappearing into the underground before resurfacing years later in Cuba. To supporters, she became a symbol of resistance against a racist system. To law enforcement, she became a convicted cop killer who escaped justice. Few figures in American history inspire stronger opinions on either side.