Page "Assata Shakur" Paragraph 3

Shakur was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, on July 16, 1947, where she lived for three years with her parents and grandparents, Lula and Frank Hill.

After her parents divorced in 1950, she spent most of her childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina, with her grandmother until her family relocated to Queens when she was a teenager.

For a time, she ran away from home and lived with strangers until she was taken in by her aunt, Evelyn Williams, later her lawyer.

She dropped out of high school, but later earned a General Educational Development ( GED ) with her aunt's help.

She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College ( BMCC ) and then the City College of New York ( CCNY ) in the mid-1960s, where she was involved in many political activities, protests, and sit-ins.