Trying to capture the legacy of Nipsey Hussle in Los Angeles and beyond is an impossible task.
I realized that as I dove into trying to piece together his history for a 10,000-word piece we published last month that, in many ways, felt like it was just scratching the surface.
But the folks at L.A. Podcast - hosted by Hayes Davenport, Scott Frazier, and Curbed's Alissa Walker - were kind enough to ask myself, CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne, and Trauma-Informed Care Educator Chavonne Taylor to begin to peel back the many layers of that onion this past Sunday.
Sitting on Davenport's couch, we alternately cycled through tears, frustration, and rage regarding what it meant to lose a figure that had meant so much to the community and the city. And also why it was so important that L.A. not let this moment pass unacknowledged.
In making that case, we had to unpack some of the deliberateness with which the city has worked to leave South Central, and the Black community, in particular, behind. We touched on the extent to which that has manifested in the generational denial of opportunities for other Nipseys to shine and pointed to the need for an alternative paradigm - one that centers the needs and aspirations of disenfranchised communities - to begin to right some of these generational wrongs. We also spoke about how Nipsey had begun laying the foundation for that alternative paradigm, both in his music and in the way he went about building his movement, because he realized at an early age that no one was going to do that for him.
It's way too much to cover in an hour long conversation. But it opens the door for further discussions on his legacy and his impact in the community that I look forward to following up on here.
Many thanks again to L.A. Podcast for having us, and to both Chavonne and Tafarai for being willing to share both their hearts and their brilliance.
The Marathon Continues.
[Find the podcast on iTunes or simplecast. Or listen below - the discussion on Nipsey begins around the 18-minute mark.]
