Jada Pinkett Smith was a very close friend of Tupac Shakur and has spoken out many times about their relationship, so it was only natural she’d develop a bond with his mother as well, Afeni Shakur. Now, in light of her death on May 2nd, Pinkett Smith has taken to social media to share her grief.
In a Facebook post, Smith, who was in New York for a Mother’s Day event named after the song Tupac wrote his mum (Dear Mama), reflected on Afeni’s level headedness as well as sharing her condolences with her surviving daughter, Sekyiwa Shakur.
“Today I woke up to the news that Afeni had passed. My first thought was of Sekyiwa and the entire clan that loved Afeni. Then I remembered that I was in New York to attend a Mother’s Day event named after a song written about Afeni, ‘Dear Mama. My heart tightened, and then all kinds of memories flooded in. I quickly remembered how calm Afeni was, especially during any crisis.
She then went on to talk about the bond her and Afeni formed after the tragic shooting of Tupac, and how through maturing as an individual, she was able to connect with Afeni on a deeper level, while also catching a glimpse of where Tupac learned his passion which helped him strive for equality and social justice.
“Tupac had passed, and now I was a business woman, wife, and a mother and we could talk real and I mean really real. I got to see where Pac got his passion, his ideals for equality and justice but most of all his depth of thinking. Afeni was a giant in her own right.”
Afeni Shakur passed after suspected cardiac arrest, and will be sorely missed by all, our condolences go to her family and friends during this trying time.
Image: uproxx