The Cuban government has announced Assata Shakur died in Havana on Thursday at the age of 78. Shakur was a legendary figure within the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.

The Cuban government has announced that Assata Shakur died in Havana on Thursday at the age of 78. Shakur was a legendary figure within the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.

Shakur was convicted in the May 2, 1973, killing of a New Jersey state trooper during a shootout that left one of her fellow activists dead. She was shot twice by police during the incident. In 1979, she managed to escape from jail and later fled to Cuba, where she received political asylum. She long proclaimed her innocence.

In her autobiography, Shakur wrote: “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.”