Afeni Shakur Davis, 63, was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and simple possession of a controlled substance.
Shakur Davis, who lives in Lumberton, S.C., posted $10,000 bail and was ordered to appear in court on May 10.
Afeni Shakur, a former member of the ’60s militant organization the Black Panther Party, is also related to the revolutionary outlaw, Assata Skakur, who is now a refugee in Cuba. Shakur Davis has a long history of succumbing to, and emerging from, the irresistible allure of drugs. After the Black Panthers were decimated from internal warfare and vigilante government agents, Shakur Davis’ life degenerated into a haze of dysfunctional relationships and heavy drug use. One of Tupac’s most poignant and famous songs, “Dear Mama,” talks about those tumultuous times during his childhood.
In 2005, Shakur Davis collaborated with actress Jasmine Guy to pen her autobiography, The Evolution of a Revolutionary, which told of her turbuent upbringing and what propelled her to a leadership position in arguably the most revolutionary organization in American history, the Black Panthers.
Shakur Davis is also the founder of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, established in Stone Mountain, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, which provides various arts programs for young people. Since her son’s untimely death in 1996, she’s managed the release of his unreleased music and poetry. –terry shropshire
