Who is JoAnne Deborah Byron Chesimard/Assata Shakur from Assata: An Autobiography and what is their importance?

This woman is the author of the book, which is a story of her life. JoAnne was born in New York City and spent many years of her life living here or in segregated North Carolina with her grandparents. She was raised to be respectful of those who respected her and to always love herself. This lesson helped her through the many difficulties she encountered as a black woman in a racist American culture. She, along with many other minorities, was brainwashed into believing she was worthless due to the color of her skin and other African features. This led to an initial hatred and distrust of all white people. These feelings of inadequacy and the arguments she had with her mother led to several dangerous run-away incidences in which she quickly became aware of the dark side of American life. Fortunately, she had a loving family who took her back in and helped to get her on a safer path.