The New York Times was once told by Kanye West’s father that he was a Black Panther.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Kanye West’s mother has been one of the most influential people in Kanye’s life. Kanye West’s parents got a divorce when he was a small child. His mother was his only caregiver throughout his upbringing in Chicago, Illinois.
Ray West, Kanye West’s father, was a Black Panthers member and one of the first black photojournalists to work at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kanye West is also a former Black Panther. After all of that, Ray eventually settled into a career as a Christian counselor. Unfortunately, Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, passed away in 2008 at the age of 58 as a result of complications following surgery.