The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) was founded in 1997 by Afeni Shakur, mother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Afeni formed the Foundation as a way to bring quality arts training to our youth. A broad range of training is offered through the Annual Performing Arts Day Camp held at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts. At the camp, artistic disciplines kids can participate in are creative writing, vocal technique, acting, stage set design, dance, poetry and spoken word, and the business of entertainment. The Performing Arts Day Camp is open to students ages 7-18. TASF has also hosted essay competitions across the country, charity golf tournaments, and has awarded scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate degrees.
TASF’s mission is to provide training and support for students who aspire to enhance their creative talents. This creative outlet was the very same source of hope that Tupac sought out after dealing with tough obstacles such as homelessness, hunger, and pain, amongst other situations during his youth.
Tupac accomplished a lot before his murder at the tender age of 25. At an early age, he wrote and organized family productions, casting himself as the lead and his older cousins in supporting roles. He formally trained at the 127th Street Ensemble and Baltimore School for the Arts and was eventually cast in several feature films. Tupac also recorded several chart topping albums. Although Tupac is not physically with us anymore, he left his words and creative talent as a gift and inspiration to the world and would be proud that other children who seek this creative liberty can openly express themselves through the Foundation.
To learn more about the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, you can visit http://www.tasf.org
