According to the Los Angeles Sentinel, Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. has declared May 21, 2019 “John Singleton Day” in Los Angeles.
The announcement is set to take place today at a celebration of Singleton’s life at Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California, where Singleton studied film and graduated from the university’s School of Cinematic Arts in 1990.
Singleton died on April 29 in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke on April 17. His family chose to remove him from life support, and a spokesperson said Singleton passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.
“There is not enough that can be said about John Singleton and the profound impact he made in his 51 years of life,” said Wesson in a statement. “In a time and in an industry where all the odds were stacked against him, John overcame and became the best at his craft. And more than maybe anyone, he opened people’s eyes to a reality and an experience of South Los Angeles that had been overlooked by society.”
He continued, “Now in Los Angeles this day is a time to celebrate John and his legacy. It’s far sooner than we should have to, but there is so much to celebrate.”
Singlegton, who was well-respected in Hollywood for his work in both film and television, made history as the first black person and the youngest filmmaker ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, for his critically-acclaimed film Boyz In The Hood.