Santi Elijah Holley on the Shakur Family, 2023 Fall History Series

Author Santi Elijah Holley discusses his book An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created. The book tells the story of the Black liberation movement in the United States through members of the Shakur family, including Tupac, Assata, and many others. Members of the Shakur family were instrumental in many Black liberation groups including the Black Panthers, The Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM), the Black Liberation Army (BLA), and the Republic of New Afrika (RNA). Holley draws a clear, direct line between the Shakurs’ activism and today’s activism. As Holley writes, “I hope the stories inside this book offer inspiration-and caution-to present and future generations who bravely carry on the fight for Black Americans and for all oppressed people worldwide.”
This talk was presented at the Main Library on November 7, 2023 as part of the Oakland History Center's 2023 Fall History Series.