Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised convicted cop killer Assata Shakur as an “important person” in the Black Liberation Movement after the longtime communist fugitive died in Cuba. Johnson made the comments while responding to questions about a tribute posted by the Chicago Teachers Union, where he previously worked as an organizer. The mayor acknowledged that Shakur had been convicted but repeated her claims of innocence and argued that black defendants have historically faced unfair treatment in American courts.
The exchange happened during a September 2025 press conference after a reporter asked Johnson whether he agreed with the union’s decision to honor Shakur. Shakur, whose legal name was Joanne Chesimard, was convicted of murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 traffic stop. She later escaped from prison and fled to communist Cuba, where Fidel Castro’s government granted her asylum and protected her from extradition for decades.
Johnson began his response by distancing himself from the union’s social media operation. “I don’t operate the Teachers Union Twitter account,” he said. He then offered his own assessment of Shakur’s place in left-wing political history, saying, “What I can say, though, is that Assata Shakur is an important person in the Black Liberation Movement who has repeatedly claimed her innocence.”
The mayor continued by questioning whether Shakur had received a fair trial, pointing to the racial makeup of the jury that convicted her. Johnson said her case occurred during a period when black Americans were frequently denied justice by the legal system. The full exchange was posted by RNC Research, which accused Johnson of defending a convicted murderer who spent decades avoiding her sentence.
Johnson said he was not in a position to determine whether Shakur’s claims of innocence were legitimate, but he repeatedly connected her case to wrongful convictions and police misconduct in Chicago. He also said that he did not support violence against law enforcement officers. Still, his answer centered heavily on Shakur’s political activism and the possibility that her conviction had been influenced by prejudice.
Shakur was convicted in 1977 of first-degree murder and other charges connected to the May 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. Prosecutors said Shakur and two associates exchanged gunfire with Troopers Foerster and James Harper after their vehicle was stopped. Harper was wounded, while Foerster was shot and killed during the confrontation. Shakur received a life sentence for the killing.
Watch Johnson’s comments here:
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Shakur escaped from prison in 1979 after armed accomplices entered the facility, took guards hostage, and removed her from custody. She eventually appeared in Cuba, where Castro’s communist government granted her political asylum and repeatedly refused American requests for her return. The FBI later placed her on its Most Wanted Terrorists list, making her the first woman to receive that designation.
Johnson’s comments have taken on renewed relevance following a recent State Department report examining communist Cuba’s efforts to spread left-wing ideology and build relationships with radical movements abroad. Shakur’s protection by the Castro regime became one of the most prominent examples of Cuba offering sanctuary to American fugitives associated with revolutionary terrorist organizations. Her continued residence in Havana also allowed her to remain an influential figure among American left-wing activists long after her prison escape.
During her years in Cuba, Shakur wrote an autobiography, delivered speeches, and became a celebrated figure among socialist, communist, and black nationalist organizations. Activist groups frequently portrayed her as a political prisoner and rejected the legitimacy of her conviction. Cuban officials similarly described her prosecution as politically motivated while continuing to shield her from American law enforcement.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s tribute followed that same portrayal of Shakur as a revolutionary activist rather than a convicted murderer and escaped prisoner. Johnson declined to condemn the tribute and instead defended Shakur’s importance to the Black Liberation Movement. He ended his response by again referring to her political activism and saying, “May she rest in peace.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.