This week, we’re going to have a more serious discussion about rap legend, Tupac Shakur. 27 years after his murder in Las Vegas, a murder suspect has finally been arrested for the homicide of Tupac.

While I am happy that Shakur may finally have justice for his murder, I do think it’s too little, too late. It’s been almost 30 years since the world lost Tupac, so why are we just now seeing justice… And really just an arrest of a suspect?

To me, Tupac’s homicide case has been one that has been ignored and brushed aside for far too long. And the fault is on who, you ask? The Nevadan judicial system. Why wait so many years to not try and make an arrest?

It is known and has been admitted by the now arrested suspect, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, that he was in the car that pulled alongside Tupac’s at the time of his murder.

So, it has been known that he was somehow involved in the rap star’s homicide. The police and judicial courts have made no real moves to ensure that justice was served for Shakur.

Injustice for Black Americans does not just apply to regular citizens, but it also includes those who had powerful messages for their community and those who have accumulated wealth.

It is sad to know that Tupac’s murder has taken so long to be ‘solved,’ but I am hopeful for his case to be closed.

Tupac’s death is one that deeply impacted and hurt the Black community; this case being closed could provide many Tupac fans the closure they rightfully deserve/want.

Even though I want to celebrate this half-win, I can’t. Because it’s a half-win. This case should’ve been closed and solved long before my birth (20 years ago).

The fact that Nevadan police didn’t make any real moves back then to solve this case, just doesn’t sit right with me.

Perhaps it’s because I’m from a different time than when Tupac was killed, so I expected the police then to do what I would want them to do now.

But I could also be unsettled by the fact that a person like Tupac—who for the majority of his career, produced messages of hope and empowerment for Black people—could be maliciously killed and then completely ignored.

For now, I’m choosing to be more hopeful that this arrest will lead to Tupac being truly laid to rest.

Jade Maxwell can be reached at jamaxwell@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.