Black on black violence to this point has been an endless loop plaguing Los Angeles streets for decades and the recent killing of Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
This type of violence takes no inventory of the hurt it places on people. Not only that, this particular instance effects all of LA, with the total magnitude reaching further due to Nipsey’s celebrity.
Local LA gangs even gathered on April 5 at the sight of Nipsey’s death on Slauson and Crenshaw to negotiate a truce. The crowd marched the streets to honor their fallen.
A peace agreement like this has not been seen since 1992.
It’s unfortunate that it took the death of a brilliant man for others to take initiative in stopping the senseless violence Nipsey took a personal oath in combating. When we react posthumously it only leaves us with thoughts of what could’ve been.
Nipsey was on the right track, however, the race doesn’t have to stop with his death.
His demise magnifies the reality that people are really being killed in cold blood over what? According to Moore, 26 people had been shot and 10 killed the week prior to Nipsey’s killing.
Black on black violence is a preventable epidemic and the cure starts with you guessed it, black people.
It going to require boots on the ground for more than just the grieving length, true effort, hard work and dedication to make his vision a reality. The easiest way to stop something is in seed form, so we have to change the narrative for young people and provide the right tools for them to succeed.
The man that was shot down in front of his Marathon Clothing store meant more to this world than just his music. He was LA’s savior, living in an area that typically swallows its black youth.
He prevailed while promoting positivity.
Hussle’s music is representative of the streets of LA where he grew up as an affiliate of the Rolling 60s gang; a faction of the Crips. Although he was a member of the gang, he was an integral part of uplifting his community.
He spent millions of dollars in an effort to revitalize the community with real estate developments in South LA that would bring jobs and black-owned businesses.
He invested in local youth by donating money to supply students with new pairs of shoes to each student, while also renovating the basketball and playground of 59th Street Elementary School.
The rapper and entrepreneur was also an investor in a tech company that aimed to advocate for STEM amongst black and brown youths.
Nips’ community work had been so impactful that Congresswoman Karen Bass will attempt to enter it into the Congressional Record.
Sadly the day after he was murdered, Hussle was scheduled to meet with LAPD Chief Michel Moore and Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff to discuss ways to eradicate gang violence and steer kids away from joining them.
The meeting was set up by Hussle.
Substantial change won’t happen overnight, but Nipsey understood that life is a marathon, not a sprint. He wanted long term success with long term ideas.
With that said let’s do this together. Let’s play out the positivity that he envisioned. Let’s give Nipsey Hussle his “Victory Lap.”
