Plot Synopsis

Directed, written and executive produced by Allen Hughes, DEAR MAMA is a five-part documentary series that shares the saga of mother and son: Afeni and Tupac Shakur. Afeni Shakur was a revolutionary, an intellect and a voice for the people. She became a feminist darling of the '70s, a female leader in the movement amidst the macho milieu of the Black Panther Party. Tupac was a rapper and poet, a political visionary and philosopher who became known as one of the greatest rap artists of all time. In addition to becoming a global sex symbol and media favorite for his outspoken and sometimes outrageous antics, he would eventually become the poster child for modern Black activism. Their story chronicles the possibilities and contradictions of the United States from a time of revolutionary fervor to Hip Hop culture's most ostentatious decade. The first two episodes debuted on Friday, April 21, 2023, beginning at 10pm ET/PT on FX:

"Panther Power" (Friday, April 21, 2023 at 10pm): Tupac Shakur navigates school, poverty and family, while dreaming of using poetry and music to spread the message of his mother, noted Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur; haunted by her past, Afeni fears how it will affect Tupac's promising future.

"Changes" (Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:35pm): Tupac bursts onto the scene, but trying to be a mainstream star and a militant activist comes at a cost; Afeni's activism lands her and her Panther comrades in the center of a political show trial that could end with all of them in prison.

"So Many Tears" (Friday, April 28, 2023 at 10pm): Tupac's legal troubles escalate, with multiple different arrests, culminating in his being charged with sexual assault in New York; Afeni is the voice of the New York Panther 21, defending herself at trial; the two trials have different results.

"Ambitionz Az a Ridah" (Friday, May 5, 2023 at 10pm): Tupac spends nearly a year at the Clinton Correctional Facility at Dannemora; he leaves hardened by the experience and immediately joins Death Row Records.

"Until the End of Time" (Friday, May 12, 2023 at 10pm): After attending a Tyson fight in Las Vegas, Tupac is shot and killed; Afeni is paralyzed with grief after the death of her son; she manages to secure Tupac's legacy.