I wanted them to feel comfortable being themselves and not feeling that they had to perform, she says. Still to this day, it's devastating for our family," Christine Harlins, her sister, said. She shot the footage herself, usually using a handheld Canon 5D Mark III. Disrupting American societys harmful tendencies to portray Black girls as more mature than other children their ageto deny them of their childhoodsis key for experimental documentary filmmaker and photographer Sophia Nahli Allison, whose work aims to portray young Black girls as just that: young girls. "[44][45] Karlin was re-elected to the Superior Court bench by a reduced margin from previous elections. As she approached the counter, Soon Ja Du, one of the storeowners, accused her of stealing after seeing Harlins place the bottle in her backpack, despite her holding the $2 payment for the $1.79 price of the juice and approaching the counter to pay. Jasmine M. Ellis: What inspired you to make A Love Song for Latasha? WebA brother and sister remember Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed in 1991 by a store clerk in South Central Los Angeles the same month Rodney King was She said Harlins and Du called each other bitch.. ("Korean motherfuckers was crooked/So niggas had to burn and loot 'em [] Lickin' off shots for Latasha, that's proper"). [6], In early 2021, a mural celebrating Latasha Harlins was unveiled in front of Algin Sutton Recreation Center. [23], The incident and reduced sentencing by the court exacerbated the existing tensions between African-American residents and Korean-American merchants in South Central Los Angeles. This is not television. . The riots lasted for almost a week and were, in part, triggered when four police officers were acquitted of using excessive force when they arrested Rodney King. She will die in front of your eyes.. The decision fanned the flames of racial unrest, which led to the LA riots. How do I challenge traditional rules of documentary so that Latasha can live in her fullness, and show evidence that she existed?. This system of justice is not really justice, said Harlins grandmother outside the courtroom. Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images. By the late 1980s, racial tensions were high in South Los Angeles, and especially between Korean storeowners and African American residents of the city. About Us | Racial tensions were high, especially between local Korean store-owners and their impoverished black patrons. The same month that King was beaten, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by a store clerk in South Central Los Angeles. This is real life, Deputy District Attorney Roxane Carvajal had warned the jury. [1] Allison wanted to create a piece restoring the memory of Harlins' life and death to their significance in those events, which are often described only as the Rodney King riots. Not enough has changed Filmmaker Shannon Dion, left, places a portrait of Latasha Harlins as friends and community members The gunshot struck Harlins in the back of the head, killing her instantly. [16], Soon Ja Du testified on her own behalf, claiming that the shooting was in self-defense and that she believed her life was in danger. When Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the gun go off he raced into the shop to see what was happening and after speaking to his wife, saw Latasha and then fainted. Here's her grandmother, Ruth, who the kids call Madea (ph), remembering the day she sent Latasha to the store. A Love Song for Latasha premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in late April, and was screened at the AFI Docs festival in June. Now 30 years later, a mural honoring the South-Central L.A. teenagers life has surfaced at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center in Los Angeles. And Id love to help them create that.. I think thats why movements like #MeToo and #SayHerName have to exist, because people still refuse to think theres a problem. Once Allison had figured out the films narrative arc, she outlined some ideas for what footage she might shoot. Those tensions were later interpreted by some members of the public and activists as being one of the catalysts for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Longtime African American residents in the area at first welcomed the Koreans but eventually grew angry with them because they refused to hire black employees and often treated their customers poorly. [39] In both cases, there was video evidence depicting wrongdoing and in both cases, the defendants did not serve any jail time. MARTINEZ: That's Christina Rogers and Vester Acoff remembering their sister Latasha Harlins. Judge Karlin suggested that there were mitigating circumstances in the killing of Harlins. Work on the film became harder, she says, when she reached the point in the film when she had to reveal what happened to Latasha. The jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of 16 years. The killing was captured on a grainy security video. ), Throughout the 19-minute film, Harlins cousin, Shinese Harlins, and her best friend, Tybie OBard, share their memories of Latashalike her aspirations to become a lawyer, her love of basketball, and a memorable poem that she wrote just one month before her life was tragically cut short. After a short scuffle, Du grabbed a 0.38-caliber handgun and shot Harlins in the back of her head. The shopkeeper, Soon Ja Du, accused Harlins of trying to steal the juice before a scuffle broke out between the two. She made sure we did our chores, did our homework. [29] While the jury convicted Du of manslaughter, which normally carries a maximum of 16 years in prison, the judge, Joyce Karlin, commuted her sentence to probation and a $500 finethis angered many in the black community, as well as other community members, who felt that the sentencing set a dangerous precedent. THE AFTERMATH OF LATASHAS DEATH. The area was recovering from the recent Watts Riots and Koreans began buying businesses because they were inexpensive and there wasnt much competition. As the Harlins back was turned, Du reached for her gun and aimed it at the back of her head. [I had these] young girls who represented the future, Ty and Shinese who represented the past, myself, us representing the presentjust all these different understandings of time and conversations with each other. Please don't believe the hype. We could make the most beautiful films, and there are still people that would not understand what the conversation is, would not understand why its important. Some Koreans and others contend that activists who have called for boycotts at a handful of Korean-owned stores are fanning racial tensions. Last fall, she filmed the films final scenes: Ty OBard walks on the beach, her favorite place, talking about how much more she might have accomplished if her old friend had been around to push her forward. Diversity, I think, is a really watered down word just for visibility. "All you people sitting, applauding over a child killer," Harlins yelled. The story of Latasha Harlins, who was killed at age 15, is explored in "A Love Song for Latasha," which scored an Oscar nomination Monday. She was just always a motivating factor in my life. The Harlins shooting is one of several confrontations between Korean grocers in South-Central and their customers. MaKhia Bryants murder really makes me upset. Then read about Mickey Cohen, one of Los Angeles most notorious gang leaders. Almost none of the girls had acted before. In April the following year, just over a year after Latasha's death, the court of appeal upheld Judge Karlin's original sentence. Upon hearing of retirement, Denise Harlins stated, "I'm glad to hear that she's removed herself from the bench and that she's retired. [11], Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, Harlins entered the store. After six days of violence, the California National Guard, military and other law enforcement agencies were called in, while the city was placed under curfew. Latasha Harlins, American Girl South Central remembered the 15-year-old girl killed 13 days after Rodney King was beaten. She had dreams in life. Latasha Harlins was born January 1, 1976,[5][6] in East St. Louis, Illinois, to Crystal Harlins and Sylvester "Vester" Acoff Sr. Latasha had one younger brother, Vester Acoff Jr., and one younger sister, Christina. What do you think this says about the academys ability to recognize Black stories, especially those about Black girls? Judge Karlin also became a target for numerous protests and later stepped down from the bench. This is real life. Latasha Harlins was killed just a few years after her mother was shot dead in a South-Central L.A. nightclub. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Rather than shooting crisp, clear frames that offered a literal recreation of what youre hearing, she wanted to combine the voiceover with fleeting images that suggest visual memories. Latasha Harlins, however, saw no such justice. I hate the word reform. White Judge Joyce Karlin, however, gave Du probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. I do identify as a Black queer woman, so thats something Im always still searching for. They rented a place near 89th Street and Broadway, just a few blocks from where Latasha would later be murdered. (2017, September 14). A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Thirty years ago today, four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. Surveillance footage showed the girl was shot in the back of the head. The Harlins family received a $300,000 settlement from Dus insurance company. [4] The killing of Harlins came 13 days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King. In July, two months after the end of the riots, her grieving family were awarded a $300,000 settlement for her death. Rodney was awarded $3.8million in damages from the City of Los Angeles and was found dead in 2012 from accidental drowning. Du, however, grabbed the girl by the sweater, and the two began to fight. Lastasha and her siblings were taken in by their grandmother, Ruth Harlins, but the youngster was understandably devastated by what had happened to Crystal. It really bothers me when I see people talk about these young girls that we have lost to violence and they describe them as a young woman, when actually they were just a child. RUTH HARLINS: I had said, get some orange juice. The city was left with $1 billion in damages. This tension, along with the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police on March 3, 1991, became a catalyst for the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Who is that really benefiting? I feel so grateful and honored that they would agree to it., At the time, Allison was living and working in Los Angeles while taking a break from getting her masters in visual communication from the University of North Carolina. At IndieWire, Dry called it a "bold and imaginative take on a vital subject" and "a strong contender for awards consideration." Some members of Harlins family wept as they watched the March 16 shooting on television monitors. The mural was created by visual artist Victoria Cassinova.[6]. A Love Song for Latasha is not about Black trauma, but the most important part about this film is that we did not incorporate the footage of Latashas death. ROGERS: She was killed. Beverly White and Heather Navarro, Family Gathers on 25 Year Anniversary of Latasha Harlins Death, NBC Los Angeles, March 16, 2016; Brenda Stevenson, The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins; Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots, Los Angeles Review of Books, July 23, 2017; Andrea Ford, Settlement Awarded to Harlins Siblings but Not Father, Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1992. However, the officers involved in Rodney King's arrest were re-tried. Los Angeles Times/GettyKorean grocer Soon Ja Du in court, after she fatally shot Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. We would sit down, and our grandmother Madea would give us spelling words. These are people that I knew in high school when I lost my dad, and now their children are a part of this story. But I think there are so many ways to dismantle the system. I ran out the back of the gym, ran home. I wanted it to feel intimate and personal and not invasive at all.. Site Map, 2023 Emerald Expositions, LLC. When you go someplace else, youre always expecting things to be better, said her grandmother, Ruth Harlins. Judge Karlin claimed there were mitigating circumstances surround Latasha's death and that Du had only fired the gun under "extreme provocation and duress", highlighting that she had been the victim of several robberies at her store. Months later, they gave her a grant. Do you find this information helpful? [37] Recent years have seen improved relations between the two communities, as a younger generation of Korean-American LA residents showed up in great numbersin some cases even organizing proteststo support the Black Lives Matter movement during the summer of 2020. She had picked up a bottle of orange juice and put it in her backpack and owner, Du, immediately though she was trying to steal it. We [talked to] real girls, and I never wanted the image of any of the girls in the film to feel like something that was curated or feel like it was of an actor, but for other Black girls to just see themselves reflected. In the years following Harlins killing, rapper Tupac Shakur provided her with a little hint of justice by ensuring that her name would never be completely forgotten. But inclusion and agency means that we as Black folks, folks of color, queer folks, trans folks, are the ones who have power, that are making decisions. [24][25][26] On August 17, 1991, while Du was awaiting trial, a small fire occurred at her store. In the L.A. courtroom during the trial months later, the Harlins family sat in the front row, praying for justice. In justifying his directive, he said "[t]his was such a stunning miscarriage of justice that Judge Karlin cannot continue to hear criminal cases with any public credibility. Police, after speaking to the people in the store at the time and watching CCTV of the incident, agreed that the youngster had been planning to pay. Du observed Harlins putting a $1.79 bottle of orange juice in her backpack. She picked the juice up from the floor, where it had fallen, placed it on the counter, and walked away. Du was tried and convicted of And so I think it is so important for that visibility to exist so Black girls know how worthy their lives are. Latasha Harlins, whose short life came to a violent end in the midst of racial tensions in Los Angeles, California, became a major spark for the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The reaction to Harlins killing was quick and bitter. The store owner, Soon Ja Du, grabbed her, they tussled, and after Harlins threw the carton on the counter and walked toward the door, Du shot her in the back of the head. Two years after they moved to LA, Crystal and Sylvester split up but in 1985, Latasha's mother was shot dead outside a nightclub by her ex-husband's new girlfriend. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Thousands of people took to the streets when the verdict was announced and looting and arson was widespread. That is, until April of 1992, when the verdict came down for Rodney Kings assaulters. Harlins turned to walk away when Du took out a gun and fired. Latasha Harlins became a victim of these racial tensions on the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991. She died instantly. Photo editor Leonor Mamanna interviews Alice Proujansky about the practical challenges of shooting and publishing a personal project. Tensions within the LA neighbourhood where Latasha lived had been killed were already nearing boiling point and her death and the subsequent sentence of Du did nothing to alleviate the issues. Du was arrested and her trial was held on November 15, 1991. And something that was really important to me is, what does it mean to speak to people like her cousin, Shinese Harlins, and her best friends, like Tybie OBard, who were the same age as Latasha? We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Denise Harlins, the maternal aunt of Latasha Harlins, led protests outside Karlin's home and the Compton courthouse. [39] While King's case was the immediate catalyst to the violence, cases like that of Harlins fueled anger and demonstrated injustices against black people, which ultimately led to the riots. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Im hoping that people really begin to engage with new ways of discussing Black trauma. The community simmered in anger. [21] Furthermore, Karlin deemed that Du's capacity to act rationally in the situation was undermined by her experience with past robberies. This may have been the last known photo taken of Latasha Harlins. Karlin added, "this is not a time for revenge and no matter what sentence this court imposes Mrs. Du will be punished every day for the rest of her life." Both sought to overcome adversity", "Liquor Permit Denied at Site of 1991 Killing", The People, petitioner v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Respondent; Soon Ja Du, Real Party in Interest, "A Senseless and Tragic Killing: New tension for Korean-American and African-American communities", "Merchant Charged in Girl's Fatal Shooting", "Legal Audio Opinions and Courtroom Video LexisNexis Courtroom Cast", "Videotape Shows Teen Being Shot After Fight: Killing: Trial opens for Korean grocer who is accused in the slaying of a 15-year-old black girl at a South-Central store", "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Historical Timeline", "Judge Who Gave Probation In a Slaying May Be Moved", "U.S. Looks Into Korean Grocer's Slaying of Black", "Grocer Given Probation in Shooting of Girl", People v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County (Du), "LOS ANGELES: Family of Latasha Harlins Wins $300,000 Settlement", "African-Americans, Koreans Try to Heal Deep Wounds", "The L.A. Harlins was 15-years-old in 1991 when she died instantly after being shot at the time by 51-year-old, Soon Ja Du, who accused her of attempting to steal the juice. Because we're going to need it," Denise Harlins, her aunt said. The girl was saying: Let me go. Atop these voice-overs, there are photos of Harlins and footage of the South Central community in which Harlins grew up. Contact Us | Allison also hopes to screen it in South Central and to create community engagement programs elsewhere: Id love for other black communities to reimagine their archives, Allison says. How did the young Black girls, the young boys that knew Latashahow were they affected by this? And I remember Latasha buying that little girl an ice cream. Police concluded that Latasha was not shoplifting and had the $2.00 dollars in her hand when she was killed. And theres no protection for Black girls when we have to rely on a system that is deeply rooted in white supremacy. 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