One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Nipsey Hussle's murder rattles LA's tight-knit Eritrean community
A photo of Nipsey Hussle from his recent memorial service sits behind the bar at Industry Cafe & Jazz in Culver City. Its owner, Aron Tadesse, is part of the same tightly knit local Eritrean community that Hussle, the son of an Eritrean immigrant father, was raised in.
(
Leslie Berestein Rojas/KPCC
)
Listen
4:28
Nipsey Hussle's murder rattles LA's tight-knit Eritrean community
The murder last month of L.A. rapper, entrepreneur and community activist Nipsey Hussle focused attention on the small but tight-knit community of Eritreans, East African immigrants who have lived in Southern California for decades. Hussle’s father is Eritrean, and the late rapper proudly embraced his Eritrean roots, just as members of the community embraced him as one of their own.
Local Eritrean Americans say they share a close bond, born of the struggles that their country endured during a 30-year war for independence from neighboring Ethiopia.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
