Afeni Shakur, Mother of Late Rapper, Tupac Shakur Dies at 69

Afeni Shakur Davis, mother of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur who was killed in 1996 during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at the age of 25 has died.

She was 69 years old.

Shakur Davis who lived in Sausalito, a town in the Bay Area died on Monday after emergency responders were called to assist in what was described as a cardiac arrest. According to the sheriff’s office she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Aside from her tireless efforts to preserve her son’s legacy, Shakur Davis was also revered for her ongoing involvement in the civil rights movement. She was also a former Black Panther.

Her complex relationship with Tupac inspired most of his catalogue of iconic tracks that seemed to flow with passion about their relationship as well as the blighted fate of black men in America due to their criminalization via the destructive rhetoric of law enforcement.

Born, Alice Faye Williams on Jan. 10, 1947 in North Carolina – she changed her name after moving to New York and aligning with the Black Panther movement in the sixties.

After her release from jail once she was acquitted for being among the group known as the Panther 21 – who were allegedly planning to bomb specific areas in New York City – she gave birth to her son.

She died never knowing who murdered the late rapper but her commitment to keeping his affairs intact never wavered. She founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation in 1997, which gave her ultimate control over the release of new music or anything pertaining to his estate.

Her latest involvement was in the upcoming biopic All Eyez on Me – which is currently in production and stars The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira.

It was also reported that she was in the middle of divorcing her husband of 12 years – Gust Davis- after filing papers earlier this year.

She is survived by her daughter – Sekyiwa Shakur.