Afeni Shakur, political activist and mother of Tupac, to be subject of new biopic

A biopic of Afeni Shakur – the late mother of Tupac and a prominent member of the Black Panther party – is in the works.

Titled ‘Peace, Love & Respect; The Afeni Shakur/Panther 21 Story’, the film has the full approval of the Shakur estate, while actor/writer/director Jasmine Guy and writer/director Jamal Joseph are both involved as executive producers. Dina LaPolt, who worked with the Shakur estate for a number of years, is also listed as a producer.

The film will mainly explore a key two-year period in Afeni’s life: from 2nd April, 1969, when she and 20 other Black Panthers were arrested and charged with conspiracy to bomb police stations in New York, until 16th June, 1971, the day Tupac was born. 

The film will also include flashbacks to the late activist’s childhood and teenage years. No release date has yet been set for the movie.

LaPolt has said Afeni’s story is close to her heart, as she was a hero to her own activist mother. “My mother was very much a part of the civil rights movement – she taught me about Afeni and how she was arrested as a member of the ‘Panther 21’,” LaPolt is quoted by Variety as saying.

LaPolt had worked alongside the Shakur family for a number of years to secure Tupac’s legacy following his death in 1996. This partnership led to the release of nine posthumous albums, as well as books and a documentary.

An immersive museum experience, based around Tupac’s life and legacy, is also planned to debut this year.