Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur

14 reviews

erezbalvanonyiske's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0


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joezapps's review

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adventurous hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

My neighbor gave me their copy of the book when I said that I only found out about the Attica uprisings when watching Dog Day Afternoon. Attica itself comes up only once in the book to my knowledge, but Assata Shakur links it and the countless other racist, imperialist, & violent actions of America to her own tragic history, and then weaves that into to the lived experiences of black americans in the past, present and future, and to the taught narratives and history of the state that are remnants from our slave owning past.

Assata Shakur does this with pinpoint precision, does not mince her words once, but brings simultaneously such empathy and humor. It's a rare text that illuminates the love and care in revolutionary movements. Specifically shedding the preconceived notions from the state & media about the Black Panthers & Black Liberation Movement, but also notes criticism to how the movements fell apart (though the blame is mainly rested on COINTELPRO as it should be).

This is an essential text I believe, and one I will be returning to often. What may bring me back the most, is the incredible poetry scattered throughout, the opening poem in particular. 

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peachblossomreads's review

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informative fast-paced

5.0


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cadybooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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careinthelibrary's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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doomluz's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

A powerful and important read.

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nashxra's review

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adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0


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gwimo's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0


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sumactots99's review

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challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

“But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave,” (p. 262).

“I guess i hummed the Blues too early, and spent too many midnights wailing to the rain,” (p.159)

“I want to be real,” (‘culture,’ p. 154).

“I mean, after the chains that get entangled in the grey of one’s matter, after the bars get stuck in the hearts of men and women, what’ is left?” (‘Leftovers— What Is Left,’ p. 146).

“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,” (p. 139).

“White people’s fear of Black people with guns will never cease to amaze me. Probably because they think about what they would do were they in our place. Especially the police, who have done so much dirt to Black people. When Black people seriously organize and take up arms to fight for our liberation, there will be a lot of white people who will drop dead from no other reason than their own guilt and fear,” (p. 65).

“They can see in your eyes a thousand nightmares that they have made come true,” (‘Rhinoceros Woman,’ p. 63)

“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 true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will set you free,” (p. 181).

“My roots run deep. I have been nourished well,” (‘momma,’ p. 194).

“It crosses my mind: i want to win. I don’t want to rebel, i want to win,” (p.195).

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tmiller99's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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