News of October 13, 2014
Jada Pinkett Smith on Tupac and the Violence of Her Youth
An old photo with Tupac and Maxine: How Jada Pinkett Smith wrote on Facebook in 2014 about loss, violence, and surviving a 'war zone'.
In a photo from the nineties, Jada Pinkett Smith stands between Tupac and her friend Maxine. Both died young and violently, not long after one another. On Saturday, October 11, 2014, she posted the picture on Facebook-the occasion for a post about loss and violence.
Loss as the Norm
Flipping through old pictures, she wrote that she found at least six more friends who died violently. The extent of the losses had felt normal back then; today it seemed unnatural to her.
Surviving a War Zone
The Source (October 13) and Billboard (October 14) reported. Billboard quoted her words that half of her life had consisted of surviving a war zone, a “genocide.” She was grateful not to have become a statistic, but felt helpless and disheartened because so many others continue to be affected.
It is the personal text of a contemporary witness, not a factual report. More on her relationship with Tupac: Jada Pinkett Smith.