*Condolences go out to rapper/singer/actress/entrepreneur Queen latifah. We’ve just leared of the passing of her mother, Rita Owens.
Here’s the story via People:
Queen Latifah made her first public appearance since sharing the news in March that her mother Rita Owens died from complications of a heart condition at the Essence Fest in New Orleans on Friday, and used the opportunity to pay tribute to her mother.
During the My Black Is Beautiful dinner sponsored by P&G at the ACE hotel, Latifah told the crowd about her mother who was an Irvington, NJ high school teacher.
“While teaching and raising my brother and I, she was being a mom to all of these other students. If you got pregnant you came to my momma. If you were worried about boys you came to my mom. If you wanted to know about a girl, was she good for you or not, you came to my mom. If you want to talk about the things you dream, you came to my mother,” said Latifah. “If you were getting abused at home and you couldn’t tell anybody you came to my mother. She was that type of teacher.”
Latifah, who performed at the event the following night with other headliners Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu, also spoke about the important lessons her mother taught her.
“I watched her give back all my life. So giving back is not even an option. It’s a requirement,” said Latifah. “She would always say that thing “to those much is given much is required”. But that’s not so much a burden that is a gift.”
Get the MORE of this story about the passing of Queen Latifah’s m otther at People.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
