Do It For Nipsey

TMZ recently reported that the family of slain rapper, Nipsey Hussle, is making it their goal to continue the work of his foundation. Though the organization didn’t have a name yet, their mission was to work with schools to enhance parks and playgrounds in the Crenshaw area while advancing STEM programs for students.

His family intends to honor Nipsey’s memory by continuing his philanthropic efforts. I wish that mentality permeated the general public that showered NIpsey in praise after his passing.

Last week, Sophie Lewis of CBS News reported that there is a movement from Nipsey’s fans (including Lebron James) to name Crayola’s newest crayon color after the slain rapper. On April 25th, Creators, VICE’s art and culture division, tweeted about Crayola’s ongoing quest to name it’s new shade of blue. Lebron tweeted shortly after that the new name should be “Nipsey Blue”, and thousands of fans chimed in with words of agreement. The moment was a microcosm of how Nipsey Hussle’s death has been discussed in the short time since his passing.

We may have approached this Nipsey thing the wrong way. Profile pictures, hashtags, and quoted lyrics are insufficient. We paid homage in those superficial ways, but we can really honor his memory by continuing his work.

Instead, we allowed his death to become the latest in an ongoing wave of controversial trends. We cling to major stories for a few days or weeks, post about our care and concern, then do nothing about it in the real world. Let’s change that now. If Nipsey showed us anything, it’s that we can all contribute to improving our communities. We may not have the same money or influence that he did, but we still have an opportunity to make an impact. That could come in the form of volunteering at a local shelter, donating old clothes, or running in a 5k that sponsors a cause. At least, that’s what I took from his passing. We can all do something to help improve our neighborhoods, and he did a lot in a time where many do nothing outside of the virtual world. The fake care of social media just isn’t enough anymore, let’s turn our thoughts and words into action like Nipsey’s family plans to do.