Johnson defends a social media post by the Chicago Teachers Union, calling the convicted murderer a key figure in the Black liberation movement.
Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago has sparked controversy by publicly praising Assata Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, a former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member convicted in the 1973 killing of a state trooper.
Shakur’s death at age 78 in Havana, Cuba, was recently announced by the Cuban government, where she had been living in exile since escaping prison in 1979. Her death reignited the decades-long debate over her legacy.
Mayor Defends Shakur
Mayor Johnson was questioned about a social media post by the Chicago Teachers Union praising Shakur during a press conference.
“Assata Shakur is an important person in the black liberation movement who has repeatedly claimed her innocence,” Johnson stated…