185 Quotes by Assata Shakur

People come telling the truth. When I ask how thing are in the States, they don’t give me the okeydoke. They say, “Honey, things are hard.” It reminds me I have to keep struggling.

The people who are running this planet are insane – they are literally destroying it. I don’t know where they think they’re gonna drink water, breathe air.

That was one of the things that always happened to me after long periods of solitary confinement: i would forget how to talk.

When I was a child, if someone had talked to me about buying water, I would have thought it was a joke.

I stay connected in my head. I’m spiritually and psychologically connected to African-Americans. They are my people, and that will never change.

Northern whites were more than happy at the prospect of Black people fighting in the war. A popular verse published in the newspapers of the day reflected the sentiment of many Northerners: Some say it is a burnin’ shame To make the naygurs fight An’ that the trade o’ bein’ kilt Belongs but to the white; But as for me upon me sowl, So liberal are we here, I’ll let Sambo be murthered in place o’ meself On every day in the year.

I must confess that waltzes do not move me, I guess I hummed the blues too early, and spent too many midnights out wailing to the rain.

No one i knew had ever heard of Ronald Myers, and no one understood why he had been targeted for this particular frame-up. In fact, i wondered if he was some kind of plant. It all seemed so strange.

Acquittal. The kourtroom broke into a loud cheer. The judge just gave up calling for order. He had to wait for the shouting to die down. It was a long time coming. All the spectators were jumping around hugging each other. The marshals led me out of the courtroom and handcuffed me. They brought me back to Rikers Island where i was put into solitary confinement.