2016 continues to be a year of both sadness and celebration- of sadness as we continue to say goodbye to the legends who helped shape our world and of celebration as we exalt their lives and their legacy. News broke this morning that Afeni Shakur, mother of the late legend Tupac Shakur, passed away around 10:30 last night. While the cause of death has yet to be confirmed, it looks as though Shakur possibly suffered from cardiac arrest at her California home.
Afeni Shakur was well known as the mother of hip-hop- we all remember the lyrics to Tupac’s “Dear Mama”, a testament to her strength as a woman and a mother. What many forget is that before being known for being Tupac’s mother, Shakur was a revolutionary, fighting on the front lines for equality as a member of The Black Panther Party in the 1960s. After being arrested in 1969 for a bomb conspiracy, serving as her own defense attorney and then being acquitted of the charges in 1971, Shakur gave birth to her son.
Shakur was in charge of her son’s posthumous estate, managing royalties and trademarks that earned over $900,000 a year. Most recently, she became embroiled in a legal battle with her ex-husband, who was attempting to claim a portion of Shakur’s estate. Besides the legal troubles, Shakur was extremely active in perpetuating Tupac’s message as an artist. After his death, she launched the Georgia based Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation which gives young people access to the arts. She frequently spoke at events celebrating her son’s life and legacy and was the keynote speaker at Vanderbilt University during Black History Month in 2007- you can hear her amazing speech here. In 2014, she co-produced “Holler If You Hear Me”, a Broadway musical that features Tupac’s works. She was also the executive producer for the forthcoming biopic on Tupac’s life called “All Eyez On Me”- the film is set to drop later this year. Danai Gurira will play Afeni while Demetrius Shipp, Jr. will play Tupac.
Our hearts go out to Shakur’s family and friends in their time of mourning. This is breaking news- check back in with KBX for any further updates.