BUZZ
Key Takeaways
- The Black Student Alliance at Trinity Washington University held a day-long event to celebrate Assata Shakur, a convicted cop killer, known for murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.
- Faculty members and the university president have publicly supported Shakur.
The Black Student Alliance at Trinity Washington University celebrated convicted cop murderer Assata Shakur today with an all-day event.
Students at the small Catholic college in Washington D.C. organized the “Assata Shakur Remembrance” in the Africana Studies room on campus.
Shakur died on Sept. 25 in Cuba, having fled there after her friends in the Black Liberation Army broke her out of prison. She was serving time for the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.
“Trinity Washington is hosting the Shakur event in conjunction with the Teagle Foundation, a liberal philanthropy formed by Walter Teagle, the chairman of Standard Oil, the forerunner of ExxonMobil,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Several faculty and administrators at the school, including the university president, support Shakur and think she is a good role model, as recently reported by The Fix.
“Assata’s story is rare because she not only survived white supremacy—she escaped it,” Trinity Washington University Professor Kimberly Monroe told Essence after the cop killer’s death.
Escaping to Cuba and continuing her life makes Shakur a “model” for others, Professor Monroe said.
“That survival, and her ability to narrate it, is a model for young organizers and Black women today,” Monroe told the magazine aimed at black women. “It’s why she remained a threat in the eyes of the U.S. government—because a free Black woman, telling her truth, and fighting for others to be free, is the most powerful story of all.”
“Dr. Monroe, your research is powerful, thank you for being a wonderful teacher, scholar and inspiration for our students at Trinity!” university President Patricia McGuire wrote in response. “Awesome, Dr. Monroe!” Provost Carlota Ocampo wrote.
Democratic Party leaders also praised Shakur after her death, as the Free Beacon noted:
“Shakur, who committed a series of bank robberies and allegedly injured two New York City cops in a hand grenade attack in 1971, has become a darling of the left, which hails her as a political prisoner and revolutionary” Chuck Ross reported. “Democratic Reps. Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Summer Lee (Pa.), and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) honored Shakur after her death, as did the NAACP and Democratic Socialists of America, the party of Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.).”
Meanwhile, New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy decided to honor Foerster instead.
“We mourn Trooper Foerster’s loss every day and extend our deepest sympathies to his widow, Rosie, their son, Eric, and the entire NJSP family,” the liberal governor wrote after Shakur’s death. “Unlike his killer, Trooper Foerster never had a chance to live out his days in peace. We are committed to honoring his memory and sacrifice.”
MORE: Stanford dean cites Shakur’s quote in memo to students
