Page 34 - TRACIA J INTERNATIONAL STYLE MAGAZINE FEATURING THE BRONNER BROTHERS

We are celebrating the life and legacy of film director, John Singleton, who was the first African American and youngest-
ever Academy Awards nominee for best director. He was also Oscar-nominated for writing and directing “Boyz n the
Hood.” He is also a famed film and television director for hits like: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), American Horror Story (2015),
Four Brother (2005), Abduction (2011), Empire (2016), Rosewood, Baby Boy, Hustle & Flow, The People vs. OJ Simpson,
and many, many more.
He was the son of Danny Singleton, a mortgage broker, and Sheila Ward, a pharmaceutical company sales executive. He
went on to attend USC, after graduating high school, where he entered a Film Writing Program in 1986. While studying
there, he won three USC writing awards, which led to a contract with Creative Artists Agency during his sophomore year.
In his early 20’s, as a skilled screenwriter, he penned the script for Boyz n the Hood that was bought by Columbia Pictures
(1991) and budgeted at $7 million. Singleton, noted that much of the story comes from his own experiences in South
Central LA and credited his parents with keeping him off the street.
He is survived by three children, from two marriages, two daughters, Justice and Hadar and a son, Miasai and four
children from later relationships, Selenesol, Cleopatra, Seven and Isis. We share in their grief and offer our sincere
condolences, he will be missed.

34 Tracia J International Style