[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]t the age of 24, a young USC film grad from South-Central L.A. named John Singleton became the first African American director and youngest ever nominated for an Academy Award for his wrenching opus on L.A. urban life, Boyz N the Hood.
Singleton once described it as the film he was “born to make,” and although he did not take the trophy home for directing in 1991, Boyz in the Hood set Singleton on a career that took him to the heights of his hometown’s grand industry — Hollywood filmmaking — where he broke ground for generations of black filmmakers and artists who followed.
On Monday, Singleton died at the age of 51, his family said. The filmmaker suffered a stroke earlier this month and was taken off life support at Cedars-Sinai hospital after an “agonizing decision,” said spokeswoman Shannon Barr in a statement.
“John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends,” the director’s family said.