John Singleton’s work resonated to diverse audiences
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Much has been made about how John Singleton brought the issues gripping black youth in South Central Los Angeles to mainstream audiences with his 1991 classic “Boyz N the Hood.”
But the themes of that film, and his others about African Americans in Southern California, also resonated with other young people of colour, from Native Americans living on isolated reservations to Latino communities in Texas and New Mexico.
The 51-year-old Singleton died Monday following a stroke earlier this month.
“‘Boyz N the Hood’ was my first exposure to the inner city black experience,” said Ruth Hopkins, a Native American attorney and writer who lives in South Dakota. “I was surprised how much I could relate to the issues of poverty, racism and police violence.”