WEB EXCLUSIVE: Marilyn Buck is a poet, advocate, translator, teacher -- and criminal.

Buck, 62, a Texas native and former Austinite is best known for her political activism in the 1970s and 80s. That activism has won her a group of supporters, as well as 25 years in a federal prison.

Her ties with the Black Libertarian Army, a spinoff of the Black Panther Party, arose from a passion for equal rights. But Buck's activism turned criminal when she took part in crimes that included the notorious 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored car that left three dead and the 1983 bombing of the United States Capitol Building.

After living as a fugitive for several years, Buck was caught and convicted for several political crimes. But her actions and ongoing activism earned a slew of supporters that continued to grow during her time behind bars.

Buck is scheduled to be released in August of this year after serving 25 years of her 80-year sentence at the Dublin Federal Correctional Center across the bay from San Francisco.

This past December, Buck was diagnosed with a form of uterine cancer. Now, her friends and supporters are working to free Buck before August. They also are gathering funding for her medical and personal needs when she is released.

A benefit for Buck will take place this Friday. With a $10 donation suggested for each guest, the event also has gathered support from a variety of uniquely-Austin businesses including Oat Willie's, Threadgill's and Vulcan Video.

On a Facebook thread promoting the event on the South Austin Popular Culture Center’s page, a divide is visible between those who believe Buck is a political prisoner and those who think she is just a criminal.

One user by the name of M Blue Livesay was particularly opinionated.

“Regardless of her motivation, robberies, prison breaks and bombings do not make her a ‘political prisoner,’” he wrote. “Enjoy the Kool-Aid. It’s free.”

One of Buck’s biggest supporters is Mariann Wizard, a friend of Buck’s and a writer for “The Rag Blog,” a website focused on issues within the progressive movement. She thinks criticism of Buck is unfair and that she deserves the support.

“I feel certain that, again like any 62-year-old, there are choices she deeply regrets and wishes she had made differently. For example, that she participated in actions in which lives were taken and children left fatherless,” Wizard said.

During her time in prison, Buck became a published poet. She received a second degree and worked within the prison to raise money for AIDS education.

According to Wizard, Buck also worked as a translator and helped inmates advance their reading skills. Wizard said that though Buck’s actions were not always right, it shouldn’t be her legacy. She believes Buck should be known for her character, rather than her actions.

“For her poetry, laughter and commitment to human rights, for not flinching from the results of her actions and not giving up her principle,” she said. “She has a character like stainless steel, incorruptible.”

Buck’s actions came just after a time when the issue of civil rights activism was on a divide.

While Martin Luther King Jr. was encouraging peaceful protests, Malcolm X was promoting the use of aggression to achieve change. Weigh in on your thoughts about what makes for political activism in our online poll.