I am a fan of Tupac Shakur. His music holds up a mirror to racism and inequalities. It reflects the struggles of black men in the world – and of the oppressions that are endured by black women in societies that deny us our humanity. Tupac was also an activist who belonged to the Young Communist League.

But one thing few people ever mention when celebrating Tupac is that in 1993, when he was just 19 years old, he was convicted of sexual abuse and spent nine months in prison. The trial was controversial. Instead of being convicted of sexual assault following the gang-rape, Shakur was convicted of sexual abuse for touching the victim’s buttocks. Furthermore, the other men who participated in the gang-rape were never charged...