The Glow of a Panther : Tupac Amaru Shakur’s Poetry and the Politics of African-American Culture

Abstract: African-American oppression has a history of violence and torment. It is a topic that is still prominent in today’s society with pop culture being one of the mediums aiding in spreading its awareness. Even though pop culture faces criticism about the portrayal of women, artists still use their platform to highlight issues that concern the African-American community. Tupac Amaru Shakur was a well-known artist that used his platform to depict African- American discrimination in society. Through his poetry he raised the issues of black oppression, white supremacy, police brutality while maintaining a stereotypical view of women. It is why this essay will use a critical race theory with a gender perspective to examine three poems by Shakur, “Liberty Needs Glasses”, “Can U See the Pride in The Panther”, and “How Can We Be Free”. The essay analyses the way these poems carry political currency in the service of African-American culture.