Everyone should know by now about the death of the brilliant young artist and activist Nipsey Hassle. To be truthful I didn’t know a thing about Nipsey Hussle until my middle son played some of his music for me a few years back. After listening to his music I decided to learn more about this young man and to my surprise, he was very in tune with the struggles of our people. I watched some of his earlier interviews and was very impressed with his understanding of life and the problems we face as a people. His music was okay to me but I became a follower of his call for community action more than I was a fan of his music.
In these times there aren’t many rappers like Nipsey Hussle, in fact, there aren’t many black men standing up for the people in the forgotten communities across America like Nipsey did. Nipsey made something of himself and he didn’t forget about the community after he got out. Nipsey came back and invested in the community and the people. It saddens my heart to see this outstanding young man gunned down in the very community where he was uplifting our people. I didn’t know Nipsey personally but I felt I did because he was trying to implement change for the collective body of black people. In many ways, I identified with his views and his feeling of love for black people. He was trying to build a refuge for black people and show us the way back to our former glory.
After wiping away my tears I started to reflect on the history of this nation with regard to how it deals with black men and women who dear to affect positive change for black people. The names of those black men and women are too many to name but they are etched in the hearts of our people. Men like Malcolm and Martin women Fannie Lou and Rosa who risked life and lime for the people only to be repaid with treachery and hate. I don’t know if Nipsey’s death has anything to do with any conspiracy but I do know that for the great part of American history black men like Nipsey have met with untimely deaths as a result of crazed gunmen. Sometimes I can’t control myself when I think of all the beautiful black men and women who have died due to America’s hate of black people.
I also began to wonder why people didn’t follow Nipsey’s message while he was alive. Now that he is dead people seem to all of a sudden care about Nipsey and what he was doing in the black community. I wonder why all these artist actors and sports figures didn’t support Nipsey’s movement while he was alive. It is sad that the death of a great man goes viral but while he was living his message fell on deaf ears. I guess that’s just the way we are now and no one really cares about change. Nipsey’s death will become another popular topic on social media and by next week people will forget all about the message and work Nipsey was speaking on. People will instead memorialize another strong black man while giving no attention to his message or how we have a responsibility to carry on his work.
Nipsey’s death has also made me ask the question of how come we don’t protect our leaders in the black community? How is it that in this day and time we don’t think to protect those men and women who are risking everything to help us? Are we so lost that we can’t see that the people doing the work that Nipsey was doing are vital to our return to greatness? Maybe we just stopped giving a dam about what happens to us. All my life I have watched as America devourers young black people and watched she kills anyone who dares demonstrate the path to freedom for black people. America destroys black brilliance because she is afraid of a unified liberated black people. America understands that black brilliance is a threat to white dominance and white control over the masses. This nation never wants to see black people living free and most certainly never wants to see any signs of black independence.
RIP to Nipsey Hussle and may God be with his family and love ones. May his vision for black people be realized by black peoples the world over. We can not allow this world to stop us from reaching our greatness. We will continue the work of Nipsey and the ancestors no matter what comes our way. The day will come when our black brilliance will be seen in every corner of the world and black people will be respected as the powerful people we are. We are beaten up and blooded but our spirit will remain strong and our heads will be unbowed. I believe Nipsey would want us to continue his work and I believe it is our responsibility to finish what he started. The man is gone but his message and the work will live on in us. Stay strong my people and remember those who are reborn in the spirit of truth can never die. Long live the king Ermias Joseph Asghedom may he rest in power March 31st, 2019.
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