Hashim Nzinga, national chairman of the New Black Panther Party, died on Sept. 9 after a long battle with Stage 4 colon cancer. Born in Midland, Texas on July 24, 1962, Nzinga was 58 when he passed away.
Nzinga worked closely with the late former Nation of Islam spokesman and Minister Khallid Muhammad, who died in 2001, according to a press statement from the Black activist organization.
In 1994 Nzinga became the chief of staff for Muhammad, NOI spokesman for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and later, the New Black Panther Party chairman until Feb. 17, 2001. Minister Nzinga then served as the NBPP National chief of staff from 2001 until 2013 under the leadership of NBPP Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz.
During this span, he worked on many campaigns for social justice including the 1998 Million Youth March in New York, the 2005 Millions More Movement effort, the 2006 Duke University Lacrosse team alleged rape incident, and the 2007 West Virginia Megan Williams rape and torture case.
Nzinga also represented and aided celebrities including Lil’ Boosie and Webbie, Pimp C and Bun B of UGK, and Erykah Badu, among others.
Under Nzinga’s leadership, the New Black Panther Party was deeply involved in the fight against racism.
NBPP “has been in the trenches in the fight against police brutality and efforts to arm Blacks for self-defense across America,” according to a press statement. “From Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, Baltimore in 2015, and everywhere in between up until the George Floyd unrest, the New Black Panthers under his leadership have been deeply involved in this fight.”
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party’s sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.
Nzinga was known to always say, “Panther comrades, hold the line.” The NBPP vowed to continue to fight and “hold the line,” the statement read.
Nzinga leaves behind seven children. His homegoing services took place on Sept. 19 at Divine Mortuary Funeral Home in Lithonia, Georgia.
