Abstract
I wrote this piece spontaneously as I reflected on the anniversary of Ferguson while working on my summer research project on former Black Panther and current political exile, Assata Shakur. I wanted to stress the role that memory plays in the creation of communities, whether nationally imagined, or based around a shared sense of justice. Shakur's asylum status in Cuba should serve as a reminder to all advocates of social justice in the U.S. that transnational communities of struggle can serve a vital function in redressing domestic racial injustice. I go on to make the recommendation that contemporary activists harness Shakur's memory to more fully engage the dynamic relationship between foreign and domestic policy that made the Panthers such a compelling group, and which allowed Shakur to elude state repression.
Recommended Citation
Kaplan, Joe
(2016)
"From Cuba to Ferguson: A Reflection on Memory as Bridge across Communities of Struggle,"
Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice: Vol. 1:
No.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/rpj/vol1/iss2/2
Included in
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