Assata Shakur, Black Panther Party/Black Liberation Army Veteran, Joins Ancestors at 78

On September 25th, 2025, we lost Assata Shakur, a revolutionary, writer, and fierce advocate for Black liberation. Her life was one of courage and defiance—standing against systemic oppression and inspiring generations to resist, to organize, and to imagine a freer world.

In her poem Affirmations, Assata wrote:

“And if I know anything at all,

It’s that a wall is just a wall

And nothing more at all.

It can be broken down.”

Assata’s words continue to remind us that no matter how powerful the prison walls, no matter how oppressive the state, they can be dismantled. Her voice affirms life, truth, and the possibility of transformation, even in the darkest of times.

Assata also carried a deep and unwavering commitment to political prisoners. Speaking of Mumia Abu-Jamal, she once wrote:

“The first time I heard a tape of one of Mumia’s radio broadcasts, it was the first time I fully understood why the United States government was so intent on putting him to death… We could not save Malcolm X, but we can save Mumia. We can save him, and we must save him. Because we love our brother, and we need our brother to help us fight for freedom. Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, free all political prisoners.”

At Prison Radio, we carry this legacy forward every day by amplifying the voices of people inside prison walls, voices that expose injustice, demand humanity, and keep alive the fire of truth that Assata believed in.

Assata Shakur’s life and words are proof that art, resistance, and testimony can move mountains, and tear down walls. Let us honor her by listening, amplifying, and acting.