The FBI calls her a terrorist but some Black Lives Matter supporters in the Bay Area call her a fighter for civil rights.
Fugitive Assata Shakur is the source of a lot of debate in Palo Alto, after an artist painted the convicted murderer as part of a city-sanctioned mural.
A national police group says thats an insult to police everywhere and are calling on the city to scrub Assata off the mural.
The U.S. government has branded Shakur, a member of the Black Power movement who was convicted in the murder of a New Jersey state Trooper, as part of the nations Most Wanted Terorist List.
Shakur escaped from prison in 1979 and is believed to be hiding out in Cuba ever since.
Assata is one of many minority members who have been slandered by this country, said JT Faraji from Hood Squad from East Palo Alto.
On the same day, that happens to be Shakurs 73-year-old birthday, Black Lives Matter supporters gathered outside of Palo Alto City Hall to defend her as a civil rights leader and to chip away at the label cop-killer.
We have to defend Assata, a righteous woman, a woman who fought for her people, Faraji said.
The National Police Association doesnt see Assata that way. Retired police sergeant Betsy Smith says Shakur should not be glorified.
Police officers have to walk by that every day and see the face of a convicted cop killer, thats a hostile work environment, said Betsy Smith from the National Police Association.
Palo Altos Mayor Adrian Fine says its a contentious issue.
I got hundreds of calls over the past week calling it idiotic and cruel, he said.
Fine says he took the mural artists advice and read up Shakurs biography to decide for himself how Shakur should truly be remembered.
When asked if the mural should stay, the mayor said, as far as Im concerned, absolutely.
Read more here:
Fugitive the Source of Debate Over Black Lives Matter Mural in Palo Alto - NBC Bay Area
- What Does "Black Lives Matter" Actually Mean? Why Saying ... - July 6th, 2020 [July 6th, 2020]
- Two people were hurt by a car as a Black Lives Matter demonstration was ending in Indiana - CNN - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter movement finds new urgency and allies because of COVID-19 - The Conversation CA - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Workplace tensions flare over whether employees can wear Black Lives Matter masks - The Detroit News - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement: CSA - Deccan Herald - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run at Seattle Black Lives Matter protest - ABC News - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- NYC Begins Painting Black Lives Matter Mural In Front Of Trump Tower | 90.1 FM WABE - WABE 90.1 FM - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter Murals Are Being Defaced In Cities Throughout The Country - Forbes - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- Demonstrators gather in Berea to march in solidarity for Black Lives Matter movement - LEX18 Lexington KY News - July 11th, 2020 [July 11th, 2020]
- Olympic gymnast Simone Biles says Black Lives Matter protests are the start of change: Its sad it took all of this for people to listen - The... - July 11th, 2020 [July 11th, 2020]
- Lockdown-focused Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter - CNBC - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Boise Police Identify Suspects in Batteries Committed During July 2 Black Lives Matter/Defund the Police Protest - Idaho Press-Tribune - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- LeBron James will not wear Black Lives Matter message on back of jersey, will instead wear traditional James - MassLive.com - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- It seems black lives don't matter quite so much, now that we've got to the hard bit - The Guardian - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- New York AG says Black Lives Matter Foundation 'not affiliated with the movement' and orders it to stop collecting donations - CNN - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Plan underway for Black Lives Matter mural to be painted on Worcester streets; Mural will be in the Major Tay - MassLive.com - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- We need leaders to affirm that Black Lives Matter, not exploit the phrase to divide us - USA TODAY - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Stormzy on Black Lives Matter: 'If we weren't oppressed, we wouldn't be shouting' - The Guardian - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- COVID And Black Lives Matter Have Spurred Real Change; Why Can't Climate Change Do The Same? - New Hampshire Public Radio - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Protesters rally in Winston-Salem to demand charges be dropped against demonstrators arrested - WXII12 Winston-Salem - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Only certain black lives matter - Carolinacoastonline - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter march will wind through Jeannette - TribLIVE - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- SLIDESHOW: Back The Blue, Black Lives Matter protests take place in West Peabody - The Salem News - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter Sign Defaced With Paint in Albany - NBC Bay Area - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- The diversity of the recent Black Lives Matter protests is a good sign for racial equity - Brookings Institution - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- What is the 'Black Lives Matter' organization? - Newnan Times-Herald - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- From the George Floyd moment to a Black Lives Matter movement, in tweets - Brookings Institution - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- How we can turn the momentum of Black Lives Matter into real change - CBC.ca - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Check Out This Amazing Music Video Shot on the Black Lives Matter Mural - Washingtonian - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Federal agency: Supporting 'Black Lives Matter' isn't partisan or political - USA TODAY - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter vigil held on Kenilworth Parkway: "We have to be a voice for change" - The Advocate - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Posts mentioning 'Black lives matter' spiked on lawmakers' social media accounts after George Floyd killing - Pew Research Center - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Artists paint Black Lives Matter murals on boarded-up windows in Fort Wayne - Business Insider - Business Insider - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Teenagers lead the way in Black Lives Matter movement - Press Herald - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter rally held in Saginaw after couple says they were targeted twice by hate crime - WNEM Saginaw - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Edward Colston's statue stood for 125 years. The Black Lives Matter statue that replaced it stood for about 25 hours - CNN - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Removing the statue of Black Lives Matter activist Jen Reid was a mistake - The Guardian - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter events continue in Portland amid tensions with feds - KOIN.com - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Unspeakable video highlights the role of Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Black Lives Matter - The Verge - July 20th, 2020 [July 20th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter: A primer on what it is and what it stands for - July 20th, 2020 [July 20th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter -- Manifesto in Ten Points | National Review - July 20th, 2020 [July 20th, 2020]
- For Friends Of The Children, Black Lives Matter Is More Than A Moment - Forbes - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- How The Black Lives Matter Generation Remembers John Lewis - Voice of America - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- That fake story connecting dead bodies and Black Lives Matter is back - PolitiFact - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Keke Palmer condemns rumors that her show was canceled because of Black Lives Matter activism - NBC News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- How Graffiti Artists Are Propelling the Vision of the Black Lives Matter Movement - Artsy - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter mural placed on top of building in 5 Points neighborhood - WRAL.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Introducing the new Black Lives Matter digital platform that will help you become a better ally - harpersbazaar.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- What Black Lives Matter Has Revealed About Small-Town America - The New York Times - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- 63% support Black Lives Matter as recognition of discrimination jumps: POLL - ABC News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter stirs hope for change in England's ancient city of York - NBC News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- 12 White Female Bodies in Garage Freezer Tagged "Black ... - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- The lies told by the Black Lives Matter movement - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter mural in Redwood City washed away after suggestion to paint MAGA 2020 - KRON4 - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- The Black Lives Matter Street Art That Contain Multitudes - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- How the Black Lives Matter generation remembers John Lewis - The Associated Press - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter mural to be removed in Springfield due to lack of permits - WWLP.com - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- 21-year-old who wrote Black Lives Matter over blue line: I did it because I love this country' - SILive.com - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- 5 pitfalls Black Lives Matter must avoid to maintain momentum and achieve meaningful change - Waging Nonviolence - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter Protest Held on Saturday in Fort Bragg to Honor the Two Months Since George Floyd's Murder - Redheaded Blackbelt - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Corporate ads said Black Lives Matter. But the industry creating them is nearly all white. - NBC News - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Cubs To Hold Moment Of Silence For Black Lives Matter | 670 The Score - 670 The Score - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter posters placed on top of building in 5 Points neighborhood - WRAL.com - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter in the Food System - Civil Eats - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- After being told to remove her "Black Lives Matter" face mask, Whole Foods employee quits in protest. - Berkeleyside - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Letter to the Editor: Black Lives Matter? - Pine and Lakes Echo Journal - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter Activist: Abolishing The Police '100%' Means Just That - Here And Now - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Why the Black Lives Matter movement doesn't want a singular leader - POLITICO - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- 5 Things You Need To Know About Black Lives Matter | The ... - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- DeKalb Black Lives Matter to host die-in demonstration on Thursday in Memorial Park - DeKalb Daily Chronicle - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Don't Exploit 'Black Lives Matter' - UT News - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Cleveland Indians show support for Black Lives Matter during moment of silence, stand together during national anthem - WKYC.com - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Roseville Man Accused Of Leaving Threatening Notes At Homes With Black Lives Matter Signs, Inclusive Messages - CBS Minnesota - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- We Need to Say to Them You Matter': Black Lives Matter Rally Held in Bloomfield - NBC Connecticut - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- New Black Lives Matter Muskegon group aims to keep the fire going - mlive.com - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Phillies start season with Black Lives Matter painted on the mound - The Philadelphia Inquirer - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Black Lives Matter: Most Controversial Quotes And Statements - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Orioles Kneel During Pregame Tribute To Black Lives Matter Movement; Stand With Arms Locked For National Anthem - CBS Baltimore - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- Meet the organisers of Worthing Black Lives Matter - Worthing Herald - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- National Day of Action for Black Lives Matter movement held in Northampton - WWLP.com - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]