A new biopic center around Afeni Shakur, the mother of legendary rapper Tupac, is in the works from Amaru Entertainment and the Shakur Estate. Peace, Love & Respect; the Afeni Shakur/Panther 21 Story will detail a crucial two-year period in Shakur’s life from April 2, 1969 through June 16, 1971.
At this time, Shakur had joined the Black Panther party after hearing a speech from Bobby Seale. She was arrested as a member of the “Panther 21” and accused of conspiring to bomb police stations in New York. Shakur defended herself at the trial and was later acquitted.
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Dina LaPolt, who has worked with the Shakur Estate for years, explained in a statement that her mother played a crucial role in teaching her about the “Panther 21.”
“My mother was very much a part of the civil rights movement,” LaPolt said, according to Variety. “She taught me about Afeni and how she was arrested as a member of the ‘Panther 21.’ When the trial started, Afeni had gotten pregnant when she was out on bail, Two of the Panthers absconded, the judge freaked out and Afeni got put back in jail. She was five months pregnant [with Tupac] and made a motion to get a glass of milk for her unborn child! She had a lot of self-confidence, and that’s our movie — it begins with the day she was arrested.”
[Via]