20 years later, UF remembers Tupac with conference

Twenty years after gunfire ended his life, Tupac Shakur will be remembered as more than just a hip-hop artist.

In collaboration with Reitz Union Board Entertainment, the UF African American Studies program will host a two-day conference celebrating the entertainer starting today at 7 p.m. in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom.

The event, Still I Rise: A Celebration of Tupac’s Legacy, will be led by a professor in the African American Studies program and a panel of graduate students.

On Thursday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Reitz Union Auditorium, a screening of “Juice,” a 1992 film starring Shakur, will be held.

Shakur, a hip-hop artist and activist, died in 1996 following a shooting in Las Vegas. He was 25.

Shakur is now considered one of the most influential artists in hip-hop history, both for his prolific rap career and his impact on African-American culture.

Vincent Edward Oluwole Adejumo, a lecturer in the African American Studies program, reached out to RUB Entertainment in March about hosting the event.

This Fall, Adejumo included Shakur in his curriculum as a way to teach his students about the rapper’s role as a civil-rights activist, actor and poet.

“Tupac Shakur was a very complex character,” he said. “There were some positives and some negatives, but overall, people draw inspiration from his life — I thought it would be a good idea to recognize him.”

Lissa Aderholdt, a co-director of RUB Entertainment’s speakers and comedians committee, said the event would foster discussion about Shakur’s far-reaching influence.

“Twenty years is a long time, so we thought it was really appropriate to do it now,” the 20-year-old UF English junior said.

Adejumo said he hopes students recognize Shakur’s achievements and the obstacles he faced throughout his life.

“Just because you might be a certain age or in a certain place in society doesn’t mean you can’t elevate to a maximum level,” he said, “and I think Tupac Shakur is a great example of that.”