SHAKUR, SHAKA #1996207
Contact Information
Shaka Shakur has been held captive by the Indiana Department of Correction since 2002. Shaka’s conviction on a trumped up charge of attempted murder of a police officer was precipitated by politically motivated harassment by the Gary, Indiana police and the State of Indiana. During his first period of incarceration, beginning when he was 16 years old, Shaka embraced New Afrikan revolutionary politics. Mentored by figures such as Zolo Azania and James “Yaki” Sayles, Shaka became an active organizer while incarcerated at the notorious Indiana State Prison. ISP, Indiana’s death row, run by a good ole boy network of white supremacist guards and administrators who routinely beat, tortured, and lynched black prisoners in their custody. Shaka was highly influential in bringing resistance to this reign of terror, actions which would lead him and five other organizers known as the “Indiana 6” being transferred to the Westville Maximum Control Complex, Indiana’s first Supermax and the second in the U.S.
Shaka continued his efforts at Westville, bringing together prisoners, outside organizations like the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown, and various human rights groups to push for an independent investigation into the human rights abuses being committed in the Supermax. These efforts lead to the Human Rights Watch report Cold Storage: Maximum Security Confinement in Indiana, a landmark document on the realities of Supermax prisons.
Beyond prisons, Shaka is a committed New Afrikan revolutionary. A regular contributor to the publications of the Spear and Shield Collective, he is active in the theory and practice of New Afrikan Independence. Drawing on his own experience, he emphasized the importance of recognizing the category of politicized prisoners as political prisoners.
Shaka’s reputation as a revolutionary and principled organizer would lead to constant harassment following his release from the IDOC and brief stint in Wisconsin. He was improperly tried as a habitual offender on a false charge of attempted murder and has been held captive ever since. He is currently the co-founder and political consultant to the New Afrikan Liberation Collective, a contributor to Prison Lives Matter, and active organizer with the abolitionist organization IDOC Watch. In 2019, Shaka was made a “domestic exile,” being sent to Virginia in exchange for Kevin “Rashid” Johnson in attempt by the respective DOCs to stifle their political activity and cut them off from their support. That attempt has failed, and Shaka continues his efforts for human rights in the IDOC, VDOC, and the struggle for New Afrikan Independence.
Be sure to sign the petition for Shaka: https://www.change.org/p/free-shaka-shakur
Shaka Shakur on Black Agenda Radio: Audio and Transciption: https://www.shakashakur.org/shaka-shakur-interviwed-on-black-agenda-radio/
Shaka Shakur Speaks at Indy Protest: New Afrikan Solidarity With Palestine!: https://youtu.be/_l2aahFTNnA?si=u_o9unhk3Kb-vO-O
This statement by New Afrikan political prisoner Shaka Shakur was recorded on Feb. 17, hours before the Indianapolis All Eyes on Rafah protest during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Written specifically for this event, it serves as the basis of a wider discussion about Palestinian and New Afrikan liberation struggles. You can read the transcript here: https://indyliberationcenter.org/new-.... Shakur's speech was played alongside those of activists from a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and identities from the coalition of groups that organized the event, including ANSWER Indiana, Jewish Voice for Peace - Indiana, MESA IUPUI, Butler, Purdue, and IUPUI Students for Justice in Palestine, and others. Full article on his website.
Shaka Shakur: Cop City Is The Modern Day Militarized Fort!: https://youtu.be/y1ygaIZ1dI8?si=NlYs2Rwe4mO7WO7N
Listen to Shaka Shakur's statement, "The New Modern Day Militarized Fort!" It was written and recorded during the the one-year anniversary of the mass arrests of Cop City protesters in Atlanta, Georgia, part of a mass movement against the construction of a military-style base for training police in repressing protest movements. Read the full article at www.ShakaShakur.org
Shaka Shakur On Prison Repression, Resistance, and How We Can Change The World: https://youtu.be/_iiA7KCWEbo?si=0ZvzyUgRUFuvXhYs
In this new 9-part series, Shaka Shakur speaks about the current status of his legal case, the psychological impacts of being in domestic exile, the "new era" of state repression, surveillance, and counter-intelligence operations in prisons today. On the flipside, he addresses not only a radical vision for a new society where true freedom exists, but also the strategies and tactics necessary to achieve that vision, giving concrete examples of how we can agitate and organize in Indianapolis and Indiana. Shaka finally speaks to what helps him withstand the extreme brutality, neglect, and human rights violations he's endured: being active and relating to the prison abolitionist movement, the national liberation movements, Pan-African movements, and internationalist movements as a whole.
Shaka Shakur: The Current State of the Struggle And Our Next Steps: https://youtu.be/Gxugokqw9aQ?si=N1RCpCz4oL02raeC
In a short selection from a Jan. 31 discusssion with Shaka, he provides historical context we must understand today: what we are doing now the revolutionaries behind bars were dreaming about 30-40 years ago. Our work is just beginning, however.
“It Only Takes A Spark:” Solidarity With The Virginia 9!: https://www.shakashakur.org/it-only-takes-a-spark-solidarity-with-the-virginia-9/
Shaka’s 2003 interview in brief period of freedom: https://www.shakashakur.org/shaka-shakur-interviewed-in-brief-period-of-freedom/
Watch the documentary SHAKA SHAKUR: Human Rights Held Hostage on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XWL_WhlHltA?si=fCAtPX1YRVWS718e
The Shaka Shakur Legal Defense Committee is currently raising funds to fight the charges which keep Shaka incarcerated. We are asking supporters to donate to the legal defense fund and for people to reach out to Shaka and learn about his work.
https://chuffed.org/project/support-the-shaka-shakur-legal-defense-fund
Any legal mail from an attorney must be sent to this address:
Shaka Shakur #1996207, VDOC Centralized Mail Distribution Center, 3521 Woods Way, State Farm, Va. 2316
