Indiana U. Refers to Convicted Cop Killer Assata Shakur as ‘Social Activist’

Assata Shakur
FBI

An Indiana University department referred to convicted cop killer Assata Shakur as a “social activist” on social media, encouraging students to read her book.

“Winter Reading List recommendation time!!” said the official Instagram account for the Indiana University Department of Information and Library Science in a caption, which went on to suggest a “staff pick” from an apparent faculty member.

Lelah is reading Assata by Assata Shakur,” the caption added. “This book is an autobiography of Assata Shakur, social activist and former member of the Black Liberation Army, as well as the godmother of Tupac Shakur.”

Shakur, whose real name is Joanne Deborah Chesimard, is a convicted cop killer who fled the United States in 1979 after a prison break. She is also the first woman to make it onto the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list, on which she remains today.

The Instagram post also features a photo of Shakur’s book cover, which promotes a foreword by Marxist activist Angela Davis, who has also appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List.

Davis came to prominence in the 1960s as a leader of the Communist Party U.S.A., and is best known for being the second black woman to make the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List for her role in a courtroom shootout that resulted in the death of Judge Harold Haley.

As for Shakur, she worked with the Black Panthers and the Black Liberation Army in the 1970s. And in 1973, Shakur got into a shootout with two New Jersey state troopers, Werner Foerster and James Harper. Foerster died after being shot execution-style during the encounter.

In 1977, Shakur was convicted on one murder charge and six assault charges and sentenced to life in prison. But in 1979, Shakur escaped prison — with the help from Black Liberation Army members posing as visitors — and fled to Cuba, according to a report by the Guardian.

The FBI is offering a $1 million reward for any information that leads to the capture of Shakur.

In 2013, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division Aaron T. Ford said that Shakur “is a domestic terrorist who murdered a law enforcement officer execution-style.”

“We want the public to know that we will not rest until this fugitive is brought to justice,” added Ford.

Indiana University did not respond to Breitbart News’ request for comment.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

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