Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts Vandalized, Noose Tied Around ‘Pac Statue

 

During the early morning hours of Saturday October 20, vandals defaced the building and tied a noose around the neck of the Bronze statue of Tupac that sits in the Center’s Peace Garden. At around 2:00 a.m. Monday morning, the statue was once again defaced when fliers bearing “garbled rants” about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were plastered all over it.

 

Update: courtesy of Black Ice over at XXL 

As if killing Sean Bell wasn’t enough. As if the Jena 6 situation wasn’t enough. As if blaming young Blacks and rappers for some shit that old White men say isn’t enough. As if the nooses at Columbia University, Ozone Park, Brooklyn, Atlanta and Connecticut weren’t enough. Finally someone that, whether you like it or not, is one of the most prominent figures in Hip Hop and the African diaspora.

Its a slap in the face. I’m asking, what can we do to slap back? Can’t grab any pistols, you know what they do to you if you have one too many guns. Plus, like ‘Dre 3000 said: “nigga they made them gats, that got some shit that will blow out our backs, from where they stay at.” Maybe we should use our brains like how that voice at the beginning of “White Manz World” from the Makaveli album suggessted and push our local and governmentofficials to create laws such as this. That could be a start.

 

To quote KRS at the BET Hip Hop awards (again), Hip Hop is being asked to step up and speak on issues that aren’t even ours. Well, I think its safe to say that Hip Hop has officially been invited to the party. We kicked and fought not to get involved in anything too heavy. But now, someone has litterally and figuratively took us by a rope and drug us into some shit. What now?

 

 

The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia was vandalized on two separate occasions this past weekend, and one man has been arrested in connection with the acts. During the early morning hours of Saturday October 20, vandals defaced the building and tied a noose around the neck of the Bronze statue of Tupac that sits in the Center’s Peace Garden. At around 2:00 a.m. Monday morning, the statue was once again defaced when fliers bearing “garbled rants” about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were plastered all over it. The fliers were also said to contain vague threats directed at certain rappers and record companies. One unidentified man is in police custody, and the Dekalb County Sheriff’s office is investigating both acts as hate crimes. “We thank everyone for their prayers and support,” said Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, who founded the Center. “Although our hearts are temporarily in pain, our spirits have already forgiven the perpetrators. Hate comes in all colors and genders therefore we will use this act of hate and ignorance to bring our community together and to pray for the healing of those who harbor such feelings. With God’s guidance, the work of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts and Peace Garden will continue to positively impact and transform our community.” The use of a noose, a highly charged racial symbol, echoes other recent incidents across the country. On October 9 in New York City, a noose was hung on the office door of a Columbia University professor. Just this week, two more turned up in the city, one hanging from a tree in a Queens park, the other sent to a Brooklyn high school principal. Similar incidents have also occurred in Atlanta and Connecticut, and the hanging of a noose from an “whites only tree” in Jena, Louisiana helped spark the high profile “Jena 6” case.

 

Taken from XXL