1. On the 20th of May, I gave a presentation to @DeBrauw (c/o @MelissaMaction) where I spoke at length about the legacy Menelik Shabazz has left in my life.

I last spoke with Menelik in October as he was in between shooting his latest masterpiece in Zimbabwe… pic.twitter.com/klz0zaXxlh

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

2. Very rarely did he call me Emmanuel – it was always ‘Blood’ with his trademark laugh & smile. I’ve known Menelik for half my life, others will have known him for a lot longer including @ChiefCharlesMBE who I spoke with earlier today upon hearing the news of Menelik’s passing. pic.twitter.com/PBYzIaJfN8

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

3. This year marks 40 years since the release of Menelik’s highly acclaimed BURNING AN ILLUSION – a rare film which captured the essence of black love in London. Black British films about love still remain rare. pic.twitter.com/FFvNFxKxCF

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

4. No conversation about Black British film is complete without talking about the impact that Menelik’s film made; A film financed by the @BFI which today remains in their archive and has been broadcast recently on @LondonLive pic.twitter.com/GmuBWymCc7

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

5. Only last year, Steve McQueen’s SMALL AXE re-awakened the Lover’s Rock movement which Menelik himself covered in his 2014 documentary, THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK. It was Menelik who gave me my 1st break and opened my eyes to Black film, working at Black Filmmaker Magazine… pic.twitter.com/o8jwG2yGF6

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

6. I’ve still got the t-shirt.
I remain in touch with most of the people who worked at their offices in Blackhorse Road – not just on the magazine but on the film festival as well. The legacy of BFM remains in tact thanks to the donation that Menelik made to @bcaheritage pic.twitter.com/i6GWV4Oosd

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

7. It goes without saying that there’s a lot more to Menelik than what has been written here. I shed a tear when I received the news this morning. He was far too young to be leaving us though with each passing day, we’re constantly reminded that tomorrow is never guaranteed.

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

8. On behalf of the Anyiam-Osigwe family, we offer our condolences to Menelik’s family and in particular to his daughter Nadia.

I’m so grateful that when I last saw Menelik in the flesh, I was able to thank him publicly for everything he has done for me. #RIPMenelikShabazz pic.twitter.com/AyOdMp30rK

— Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE (@EmmanuelAnyiamO) June 29, 2021

He walked, so we could run. Without Menelik, there is no BFM, No Screen Nation, No @buffconnects, No @BuffOriginals

Thank you for mentoring Emmanuel and continuing to be in contact as a father figure.

Much love, forefather ♥️🙏🏾😢#MenelikShabazz pic.twitter.com/QOHRnxTeat

— Clare Anyiam-Osigwe BEM (@clareanyiamo) June 29, 2021

#Heartbreaking Tribute to Menelik Shabazz @menelikshabazz the award winning Film Director & pioneer of contemporary Black British cinema dies age 67 in Zimbabwe: Before #SmallAxe there was Shabazz's "Looking for Love" doc @lookingforlove @lkg4luvfilm Read: https://t.co/5gcTd7dSPz pic.twitter.com/p4zgDffylB

— ALT A Review Print & Digital Newspaper (@alt_africa) June 29, 2021

A truly tragic loss- @MenelikShabazz A Black pioneer of #Britishfilm We need these elders to be part of the discussion of how we move forward, that’s the only way we can be safe from the lies of who we are and where we’ve been. Our elders deserve a proper ovation 👏🏽🙏🏽✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/D25bkewwMM

— Martina Laird (@martina_laird) June 29, 2021

This really hurts. The filmmaker #burninganillusion #thestoryofloversrock documentary #bloodahgorun #lookingforlove and many more has joined the ancestors 💔😪 https://t.co/3YoUWz7FRr

— Judith Jacob (@JJyabbas) June 29, 2021