Book description
One of the most visible figures in both the hip-hop and civil rights
movements charts her moral and spiritual development in a stirring and
poignant memoir spanning five decades.
As a child growing up in North Carolina, Alice Faye Williams knew
that the most important thing her impoverished family lacked was land;
as she puts it, "The land, to live on and to cultivate and pass
on to my family." But there was no land, and in the end her
family moved to New York, where in her late teens Alice Faye became
Afeni Shakur, a radicalized, prominent Black Panther. In 1969, she was
arrested along with a number of other Black Panthers on suspicion of
planning bombings -- she spent eleven months on remand before women of
all races raised ,000 in cash to bail her out. She was subsequently
acquitted of all charges. While in jail, Afeni Shakur was pregnant
with her son, Tupac, who went on to become Tupac Amaru Shakur, a rap
megastar until his tragic death in 1996.
Over the course of a decade, the renowned actress Jasmine Guy has
been recording the thoughts of Afeni Shakur. In this unique book, Guy
reveals the evolution of the woman through a series of intimate,
revealing conversations on themes such as love, race, drugs, music,
and of course her son. We see how the impoverished southern girl
became a leading light in the Black Panther movement; how drugs
brought her low; how her recovery filled her with new hope for herself
and the future of black women everywhere; and how the work of her son
has served to bring renewed hope and courage to people that this
country has too often left behind.
Beautifully written, and a beacon of understanding for all Americans,
Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary will stand as a
powerful testament to the perseverance of one woman, and the power of
change and forgiveness.
"Reading the book is like eavesdropping on two
close girlfriends. As they talk over greens, yams and fried chicken,
you inhale the aromas. You hear laughter and sobs; you feel the warmth
and love."
-- The Baltimore Sun
Jasmine Guy has known Afeni Shakur for nearly a
decade, having met her via Afeni's son, Tupac. A multitalented
performer, Guy began her career as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Center. She moved to acting and television, however,
with the starring role of Whitley Gilbert on the hit series A
Different World. During the show's six-season run, Jasmine made
her film debut in Spike Lee's School Daze and went on to costar
in Eddie Murphy's Harlem Nights. Her other big and small screen
credits include Kla$h, Diamond Men, Stompin' at the Savoy, Any Day
Now, Linc's, Feast of All Saints, and her current role as Roxie
in the Showtime series Dead Like Me. Jasmine is married with
one child. This is her first book.
