Ermias Asghedom, better known as Nipsey Hussle passed away in March of 2019. His sudden death caused a wave of support for his music, brand and family.
While this devastated many people and communities, it also sparked a light in others. After his passing, people began to take heed to the different ideals he spoke and rapped about.
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Nipsey Hussle was widely known for his financial literacy, love of knowledge and books as well as his approach to positivity. His clothing brand, The Marathon Continues, spoke to his persistence.
Rashad Drakeford, a fan of Nipsey and Wisconsin native decided to continue this race with a book club. Starting with a list of books that Nipsey had mentioned going viral, he decided to take it one step further and founded a book club which now has 74 members in four different cities including Los Angeles, New York, Oakland and Washington, D.C. This book club is currently for Black and Latino men however, they are thinking about expanding to include women.
In a time of grief, Rashad decided to use it as an opportunity to unify the community and continue the marathon. "After Nipsey passed, a lot of us were trying to figure out how best to honor him. We started a book club for Black men in his honor because if we could embed Nispey's mindset in all of us, his legacy would never die." Drakeford posted.