2 Pac and PTSD

Does Tupac’s message and music his life legacy shed light on how SA affects all communities in America?

Simone Emmons, Copyright, 2023, Not to be used without the express and written consent of the author

Tupac’s music was insightful, revolutionary and talked about many difficult, real life situations and legacy can show us insight into being a Survivor of Sexual Assault/Molestation.

As my mission is to speak out on SA and encourage it to become a less taboo subject so society can overcome the shame surrounding being a survivor and leave there to be no shadows for offenders to feel safe to hide, and encourage offenders and Survivors alike to seek help.

My lifelong love of music and resonating deeply to his fight for social justice brought Tupac’s music into my life and brightened it and gave me hope. His message has led me to think deeply over his songs, his life and his circumstances with much respect and reflection.

His lyrics have touched me deeply on a soul level as many other fans can say the same about his music. I am often listening to his albums on repeat decades later from me hearing ‘’All Eye’s on Me’’ in 1997. But no longer on cassette, I will add. Tupac’s message has been motivation in my life to ‘keep ya head up’ in my hardest days. Growing up without many positive adults in my life to provide guidance and encouragement, Tupac’s messages from struggling without a father meant more to me as it gave me hope for a brighter future and to not give up when the world is against you.

This connection and realness with his music has been felt by millions of other fans over the years across all types of human experiences.

(Please check out this interesting to say the least article by NPR about a 66-year-old attorney who held “Tupac Fridays.”

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/17/742815262/fired-over-too-much-tupac-a-rap-loving-bureaucrat-from-iowa-says-he-hopes-not

I am a Survivor of childhood sexual traumaand Military Sexual Trauma myself; I know Sexual assault has immense consequences and can hold lifelong impacts to the Survivor. Not only can it effect the Survivor physically it can affect their whole outlook on life and create PTSD is gone untreated, addressed and the abuse stopped.

Tupac’s music touches on so many social situations that affects all American communities, from poor to the upper class. ‘Brenda’s Got a Baby” 1991 was his song about a 12 year old girl who was raped and became pregnant. Tupac understood survivors and wasn’t afraid to speak out on this difficult subject. This gave me so much hope that society will change for the better one day.

SA Survivors hold trauma directly related to their bodies. SA Survivors can become hypersexual or hypo sexual. Survivors are also placed at a much greater risk to be sexually trafficked, become involved in a IPV relationship or have to turn to prostitution for survival depending on their situation or having to flee the abuse when there is no help available or support from the court/police or the community. Tupac’s music touched on all of these points in effort to raise awareness and to support SA survivors.

SA is such a life engulfing trauma that Tupac wasn’t scared to speak out about and try and raise awareness in his music and interviews.

I remember Tupac’s message was so profound, uplifting and offered me hope. He engrained the idea of perseverance and to keep fighting against injustice. This is the true genius of Pac and his important messages really can be understood from many walks of life. His message can also bring understanding of the reality of black in America to other races. The crime of SA in the black community is often overlooked and even less talked about.

Americas must do better for all communities and SA survivors by supporting ALL survivors.

‘THUG LIFE’ stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone”. This statement I feel, directly can reference molestation of children. Not only does SA as an adult can traumatize a Survivor, but childhood molestation will cause trauma that will not only affect the child for life, but will lead to huge societal problems. Tupac did not shy away from exposing these sensitive subjects and his message was profound and still impactful today.

SA is a life altering and can be devastating to not only the Survivor but to society as a whole. Mental health issues can resonatein a person’s life for years if not spoken about and healed.

SA and molestation are hard crimes to track as the repercussions of survivors coming forward can be life threatening, thus my theory is the numbers for these crimes are underreported. Was Pac doing all he could by shedding light on this subject the best way he could? A somewhat ‘socially acceptable’ use of words and motto=’Thug Life’ to speak the truth that is socially un-acceptable to speak on directly?

I’d like to add the facts that the black and brown communities in America have been systematically kept from access to health care and thus generations have gone through trauma without means to find help and healing. The more we speak on the truth and hold abusers accountable, and find healing, support and therapy for Survivors; we can thus end SA in every community.

I quote Kendrick Lamar to support my theory that SA is a larger problem in the black community, thus also supporting my theory that Pac was a Survivor himself out of a numbers and statistical standpoint.

Kendrick directly refers to SA in the song ‘Mother I Sober’. Listen to the whole song, as I could quote the whole song fully, but here are the lyrics that most stood out to me:

“The conversation not being addressed in Black families, the devastation, haunting generations and humanity. They raped our mothers, then they raped our sisters, then they made us watch, then made us rape each other. Psychotic torture between our lives we ain’t recovered. Still living as victims in the public’s eyes. Who pledge allegiance. Every other brother has been compromised. I know the secrets, ever other rapper sexually abused. I see ‘em daily burying they pain in chains and tattoos.

His anger grows deep in misogyny. This Post-Traumatic Black families and a sodomy, today is still active.”

Kendrick himself is saying the statistics on SA in black communities is ‘every other’. Kendrick also refences the PTSD in the black community that goes unnoticed from SA. I also feel the black community suffers from PTSD from violence that is unspoken about. PTSD from combat is highly spoken about (possibly to maintain nationalism) in the press, yet SA PTSD or street violence PTSD is often overlooked. Yet, the population that has seen combat is very small compared to the populations that have encountered SA or urban violence.

My feelings run deep on this for I believe that the more we talk and open up about traumas and violent crimes, the more they will diminish. We must not shy away from sensitive subjects, for this leaves the truth in the dark. Softening words and facts I feel can protect the abuser. I understand that Survivors are all on different healing levels of healing and somebody’s story can trigger them, yet if we never speak the truth, it will remain taboo and a sensitive subject and abusers will remain in the shadows. I spoke out about my story to release myself from the shame and to break the silence. Pac told his story in his music and was not afraid to stand up for Survivors. Maybe America is not ready for such a direct addressing of SA, and it must be somewhat sugar coated in melodic beats for us to face reality, but just as he did his part to call awareness to injustice I hope I can with my words and also uplift other Survivors and create social change.