Four decades in the making, AFENI SHAKUR tells the extraordinary story of the woman who has lived through some of the most chaotic and transformational times in our nation's racial, feminist, and cultural history. In this intimate book, co-written with Jasmine Guy, Shakur chronicles the details of her remarkable life. Through a series of one-on-one conversations that developed over the course of nearly a decade, Shakur discusses the struggles and the triumphs, from growing up dirt-poor in the south through her radical days with the Black Panthers. She talks openly about her battle to conquer her cocaine addiction, voices her opinion on issues of race, sexuality, and the future of black cultural identity in America, and shares her thoughts on spirituality, love, music, motherhood and the joy she takes in her current role as proud keeper of her son Tupac's enduring legacy. Moving, enlightening, and always controversial, Shakur's story is a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and meet the challenges of life with courage and hope.

Author Biography

Jasmine Guy has known Afeni Shakur for nearly a decade, having met her via Afeni's son, Tupac. A multitalented performer, Guy began her career as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She moved to acting and television, however, with the starring role of Whitley Gilbert on the hit series A Different World. During the show's six-season run, Jasmine made her film debut in Spike Lee's School Daze and went on to costar in Eddie Murphy's Harlem Nights. Her other big and small screen credits include Kla$h, Diamond Men, Stompin' at the Savoy, Any Day Now, Linc's, Feast of All Saints, and her current role as Roxie in the Showtime series Dead Like Me. Jasmine is married with one child. This is her first book.