Warrior, mother, Black Liberation Army member and Black Panther Assata Shakur would have turned 79 years old today.

We're honoring her with an excerpt from her book, "Assata." In chapter 7, she shares the harrowing experience of finding out she was pregnant while incarcerated as a political prisoner — how she was denied proper care, how the prison medical staff tried to coerce her to make decisions about her own pregnancy. In chapter 20, she shares the intimate details of what it is like to be separated from your child while a political prisoner, and the deep sadness in-between visitations. In the end, it is the love of her daughter that ultimately make her decide to escape from prison. After successfully escaping prison, mama Assata lived the rest of her days free in Havana, Cuba. We honor ancestor Assata, and all the mamas who dare to struggle!