The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) regrets to report that a series of attacks have taken place at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, 5616 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, Georgia. The first incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, October 20th, when vandals defaced the building as well as tying a noose around the neck of the bronze statue of Tupac Shakur located in the Center's Peace Garden. The attacks are being investigated as hate crimes by the De Kalb County Sheriff's Office. The second incident occurred at the Center at 2:00AM Monday morning when the statue was damaged further. A male has been arrested and is currently being held in custody.
The noose hung around the statue's neck is an imitation of other cases recently reported in the media after a surge of hate crimes. The statue was also plastered with handbills of garbled rants that include references to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina as well as vague threats against various record companies and rappers. The manner of the attack indicates it is the work of one or more individuals.
Says Afeni Shakur; "We thank everyone for their prayers and support. Although our hearts are temporarily in pain, our spirits have already forgiven the perpetrators. Hate comes in all colors and genders therefore we will use this act of hate and ignorance to bring our community together and to pray for the healing of those who harbor such feelings. With God's guidance, the work of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts and Peace Garden will continue to positively impact and transform our community."
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation is now in the process of raising money to construct a fence around the parameters of the Center to prevent these types of incidents from occurring again.
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