Assata: An Autobiography

Assata did not anticipate having to go “underground” (234) until the day finally came that she had to hide herself. After leaving the Party, she kept a low profile and evaded police presence. However, a friend informed her one day that a wanted poster with her image on it was in the newspaper. The poster said that she was wanted for questioning in relation to a machine-gunning incident. Assata found a wig and some other clothing to disguise herself. She decided to go to a friend’s house. When she arrived, she did not anticipate staying for long. However, her friend welcomed her and wanted to help her be safe. Assata was moved by her friend’s kindness and stayed the night. The next day, she left and saw that the wanted poster with her image was everywhere.

Assata went into hiding for the next several years. In reflection of her time in hiding, she states that, “I had done a lot of reading about it in other places, but i had no concrete idea how to apply the lessons from those struggles to the struggle of Black people within the United States” (241).

According to Assata, one of the main struggles of the Black Liberation movement was that there was no consolidation of the various Black organizing groups.