A Song for Assata
Common Lyrics

In the Spirit of God
In alignment with divine energy

In the Spirit of the Ancestors
Honoring those who came before us

In the Spirit of the Black Panthers
Continuing the legacy of the Black Panthers' fight for justice

In the Spirit of Assata Shakur
Inspired by the strength and resilience of Assata Shakur

We make this movement towards freedom
Working together to achieve liberation

For all those who have been oppressed, and all those in the struggle
Fighting for the rights of the marginalized and those fighting for justice

There were lights and sirens, gunshots firing
A scene of chaos and violence

Cover your eyes as I describe a scene so violent
The intensity and brutality of the situation

Seemed like a bad dream, she laid in a blood puddle
A horrifying and surreal experience where she was injured

Blood bubbled in her chest, cold air brushed against open flesh
The physical pain she endured and the vulnerability she felt

No room to rest, pain consumed each breath
Overwhelming pain making it difficult to find any relief

Shot twice wit her hands up
Shot by the police while surrendering

Police questioned but shot before she answered
Police used violence before giving her a chance to respond

One Panther lost his life, the other ran for his
One of her comrades died, while the other escaped

Scandalous the police were as they kicked and beat her
The police acted disgracefully by physically assaulting her

Comprehension she was beyond, tryin' to hold on
She struggled to understand the situation while trying to survive

To life. She thought she'd live with no arm
She believed she might lose her arm and never fully recover

That's what it felt like, got to the hospital, eyes held tight
Arriving at the hospital with fear and uncertainty

They moved her room to room-she could tell by the light
Navigating through different hospital rooms based on changing lighting

Handcuffed tight to the bed, through her skin it bit
Being restrained to the bed, feeling the discomfort of the handcuffs

Put guns to her head, every word she got hit
Enduring threats and physical violence while being questioned

"Who shot the trooper?" they asked her
Police interrogated her about the shooting of a police officer

Put mace in her eyes, threatened to blast her
Blinded by mace and faced with the threat of being shot

Her mind raced till things got still
Her thoughts were frantic until a moment of calm

Opened her eyes, realized she's next to her best friend who got killed
Awakening to the realization that her close friend had been killed

She got chills, they told her, that's where she would be next
Feeling a sense of dread as she was told she would meet the same fate

Hurt mixed wit anger-survival was a reflex
A combination of pain and anger fueled her survival instincts

They lied and denied visits from her lawyer
Authorities deceived her and blocked access to legal representation

But she was building as they tried to destroy her
Despite their efforts to break her, she remained resilient

If it wasn't for this German nurse they would of served her worse
A German nurse provided crucial support, preventing further harm

I read this sister's story, knew that it deserved a verse
After learning about her experiences, it became clear her story should be shared

I wonder what would happen if that would of been me?
Reflecting on the potential outcomes if he had faced similar circumstances

All this shit so we could be free, so dig it, y'all
Enduring hardship and struggle for the sake of freedom

It seemed like the middle of the night when the law awakened her
She was abruptly woken by law enforcement in the middle of the night

Walkie-talkies crackling, I see 'em when they taking her
Witnessing the police's presence and communication as they take her away

Though she kinda knew,
Having a sense of what was happening

What made the ride peaceful was the trees and the sky was blue
The only source of solace was the natural beauty around her during the journey

Arrived to Middle-sex Prison about six inna morning
Reaching Middlesex Prison early in the morning

Uneasy as they pushed her to the second floor in
Feeling anxious as they escorted her to the second floor

A cell, one cot, no window, facing hell.
Confined in a cell without a window, facing a living nightmare

Put in the basement of a prison wit all males
Being placed in the male section of the prison's basement

And the smell of misery, seat-less toilets and centipedes
The prison had an overwhelming stench of despair, unhygienic conditions, and pests

She'd exercise, (paint?,) and begin to read
Finding solace in exercising, painting, and reading

Two years in a hole. Her soul grew weak
Two years of isolation took a toll on her emotional well-being

Away from people so long she forgot how to speak
Being isolated for an extended period made her forget how to communicate

She discovered freedom is a unspoken sound
Realizing that true freedom cannot be fully expressed through words

And a wall is a wall and can be broken down
Understanding that even the most formidable barriers can be overcome

Found peace in the Panthers she went on trial with
She found solace and support from the Black Panthers who also faced trial

One of the brothers she had a child with
She had a child with one of the fellow Black Panthers

The foulness they would feed her, hopin she's lose her seed
Authorities tried to break her spirit, hoping she would miscarry

Held tight, knowing the fight would live through this seed
Holding onto hope and determination, knowing that her child carried the legacy

In need of a doctor, from her stomach she's bleed
Requiring medical attention as she experienced bleeding from her stomach

Out of this situation a girl was conceived
Despite the hardships, she became pregnant with a daughter

Separated from her, left to mother the Revolution
Being forcibly separated from her daughter, but nurturing the fight for justice

And lactated to attack hate
Using love and nurture as a weapon against hate

Cause federal and state was built for a Black fate
The systems of the federal and state governments were designed to oppress Black people

Her emptiness was filled with beatings and court dates
Enduring physical abuse and constantly facing court proceedings

They fabricated cases, hoping one would stick
Authorities falsely invented charges, hoping one would lead to conviction

And said she robbed places that didn't exist
Accusing her of crimes at locations that were fictional

In the midst of threats on her life and being caged with Aryan whites
Facing constant danger and being imprisoned with white supremacists

Through dark halls of hate she carried the light
Despite the oppressive surroundings, she remained a source of hope and strength

From North Carolina her grandmother would bring
Her grandmother traveled from North Carolina to visit her

News that she had had a dream
Receiving updates about her grandmother's dreams

Her dreams always meant what they needed them to mean
Interpreting her grandmother's dreams based on their significance

What made them real was the action in between
The actions taken based on the dreams made them come true

She dreamt that Assata was free in they old house in Queens
Her grandmother dreamed of Assata being free in their old house in Queens

The fact that they always came true was the thing
The consistency with which those dreams came true was remarkable

Assata had been convicted of a murder she couldna done
Assata was wrongly convicted of a murder she did not commit

Medical evidence shown she couldna shot the gun
Medical evidence confirmed she was physically incapable of firing the gun

It's time for her to see the sun from the other side
It is time for her to experience freedom

Time for her daughter to be by her mother's side
Reuniting her daughter with her after years of separation

Time for this Beautiful Woman to become soft again
Allowing her to heal and regain her tenderness

Time for her to breathe, and not be told how or when
Granting her the freedom to live on her own terms

She untangled the chains and escaped the pain
Breaking free from the chains of oppression and leaving behind the suffering

How she broke out of prison I could never explain
The method of her prison escape remains unknown

And even to this day they try to get to her
Authorities continue to pursue her

But she's free with political asylum in Cuba
She found freedom and safety through political asylum in Cuba

Freedom! You askin' me about freedom
Addressing the concept of freedom

Asking me about freedom?
Questioning the act of seeking answers about freedom

I'll be honest with you
Speaking truthfully

I know a whole more about what freedom isn't
Understanding what freedom lacks and the limitations imposed

Than about what it is, cause I've never been free
Lacking firsthand knowledge of true freedom

I can only share my vision with you of the future
Describing his imaginative perspective on the future

About what freedom is
Discussing his interpretation of freedom

The way I see it
Presenting his personal viewpoint

Freedom is, is the right to grow, is the right to blossom
Freedom entails the ability to develop and flourish

Freedom is is the right to be yourself, to be who you are
Freedom allows individuals to fully embrace and express their true selves

To be who you want to be, to do what you want to do
Freedom grants autonomy to become and pursue desired aspirations