Straight Ahead: The Life of Resistance of Dr. Mutulu Shakur

Who is Dr. Mutulu Shakur? He is known by some as the “stepfather” of rapper Tupac Shakur. This explanation diminishes the significance of a human being who has fought for the liberation of Black people and humanity for nearly six decades. Dr. Shakur is a grassroots organizer, teacher, and defender, anti-repression activist, healer, and unifier of the youth and street forces (whether in the community or inside prison walls) currently living in incarceration. Shakur defines himself as a revolutionary nationalist who struggles for the liberation of the Black nation, which he calls “New Afrika” and is opposed to the oppression of all people in the United States around the globe. He is a resilient spirit who embodies Black peoples’ fight for freedom and human rights. He is a freedom fighter who joins hands with young and old, privileged and poor, academics and “gangstas,” and people of a variety ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. Fighting cancer and a series of other ailments while incarnated, Dr. Shakur is literally fighting for his life. This essay is a brief biography of the activism and political journey of Dr. Mutulu Shakur.