LOS ANGELES – Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) issued the following statement in recognition of the life lived by John Singleton.
“John Singleton was a native son of South Los Angeles who included our community in his prolific success.
“He was just 24 years old when he received an Oscar Nomination for Best Director for ‘Boyz n the Hood’, making him not only the youngest filmmaker ever to receive the honor, but also the first ever Black director to receive that nomination. With this project, he humanized the struggle but also the beauty of life in South Los Angeles. His ability to articulate what he saw in the community not only made him a storytelling legend, but also a cinematic activist — a path that included testifying before the United States Senate about rising homicide rates among youth and decades of dedication to enriching our neighborhoods.
“And that’s what made John special – he brought the community everywhere he went in his career. When he was working on ‘Snowfall’, I went with John to see the work that Community Coalition has done and continues to do in South L.A. John made sure that his films depicting South Los Angeles were filmed on those actual streets with members of that actual community holding starring roles and when he became successful, John made sure that it was the community that benefitted both culturally and financially.
“John made sure to tell our stories on the big screen in an authentic way that only someone from where he’s from could tell, all the while ensuring that his community benefitted. By doing so, he changed Hollywood forever as well as South Los Angeles. My thoughts are with his friends and family as they mourn this influential man.”
