PDN Subscribers get instant access to this site for FREE. The area was recovering from the recent Watts Riots and Koreans began buying businesses because they were inexpensive and there wasnt much competition. A 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 beaten. Latasha Harlins was a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed on March 16, 1991 by Soon Ja Du, a 51-year-old Korean store owner. This is not television. More , December 6, 2019 It becomes more important for Black girls to see themselves reflected on screens and others to see us reflect it, to humanize them, to provide some form of consciousness and some understanding of why their lives are important in general. Her death happened thirteen days after the videotape of the Rodney King beating was released. Shocked, Latasha can be seen hitting Du twice, which knocked her to the ground, before she started to back away, after dropping the orange juice in the fracas. And Im someone that deeply wants to interrogate and reimagine parts of the archive that are left intentionally blank or that are erased or destroyed. cultfacts 1.6K 31 dethb0y 3 days ago NSFW 4 dead including 3 teens in murder-suicide khou 1.5K 148 AmethystOrator 7 days ago NSFW A New Documentary Celebrates Her Life", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Love_Song_for_Latasha&oldid=1141558250, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Janice Duncan (Creative Producer) Fam Udeorji (Producer) Sophia Nahli Allison (Producer) Aubrey Aden-Buie (Executive Producer) Elisa Gambino (Executive Producer), Shinese Harlins and Tybie O'Bard, Raigan Alex, Zoe Flint, Shinese Harlins, Brittany Hudson (as Irie Hudson), Tybie O'Bard, Londyn Sharp, English (original), Turkish, French, Italian, German, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 17:32. "[41] Since retiring from the bench Karlin has used her husband's surname Fahey. Latasha Harlins was warned by her grandmother not to enter Empire Liquor unless she was planning on making a purchase. 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. She had dreams in life. A videotape played Monday in a Los Angeles courtroom showed that Latasha Harlins had turned away from a scuffle with a Korean grocer when the black teen-ager was shot in the back of the head. Meanwhile, their loved ones and communities are left upholding the truth about who they were, while media reports and larger conversations might not include aspects of these girls that point to their humanity, such as their favorite hobbies, their career aspirations, or how they were doing in school. WebOn March 16, 1991, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by a liquor store owner who accused her of stealing. There was no audio on the tape, but the prosecutions first two witnesses--9-year-old Ismail Ali and his 13-year-old sister Lakeshia Combs--testified that there was a sharp exchange and name-calling by Du and Harlins. The death of Latasha Harlins, which was recorded on security footage, and the later sentencing and failed appeal, are considered to have contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, especially the targeting of Koreatown, Los Angeles. If they don't validate the existence of other Black women and girls then they have no right to work with me. WebThe only video that exists of her is the grainy surveillance footage that captured the last minutes of her life. Its been 30 years since the death of Latasha Harlins, and through the efforts of her family and a new documentary, South Central Los Angeles is embracing her legacy in a new way. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. They rented a place near 89th Street and Broadway, just a few blocks from where Latasha would later be murdered. Allison spent two years making A Love Song for Latasha, serving as director, cinematographer, editor and producer. The girl was saying: Let me go. WebLATASHA HARLINS CCTV FOOTAGE. WebLatasha Harlins (January 1, 1976 March 16, 1991) was an African-American girl who was fatally shot at age 15 by Soon Ja Du (Korean: ), a 49-year-old Korean-American When we look at Latasha Harlins, even Judge Joyce Karlin [who presided over the trial following her death] understands why Soon Ja Du reacted the way she did. [33], Tensions only continued to mount, particularly after police officers were found not guilty of beating Rodney King. This is not the movies. Her dad worked in a steel foundary while he mum waited tables to try to make ends meet and provide for Latasha and her younger sister, Christina. Du was tried and convicted of She adds that the film belongs in part to Ty OBard and Shinese Harlins, and she would like to use it to help them realize a memorial to their friend. WebLatasha King was just 15 when she was shot dead by a shop owner one Saturday morning - her death is widely thought to be one of the contributing factors to the 1992 LA Riots and At IndieWire, Dry called it a "bold and imaginative take on a vital subject" and "a strong contender for awards consideration." Soon Ja Du the markets Korea-born owner saw the orange juice sticking out of Harlins backpack and assumed she was stealing it, even though the teenager had cash in her hand. If you are a current subscriber and have not activated your pdnonline.com access, please provide the following information. I said I wanted to know more about Latasha beyond her death, and learn who she was as a person, Allison explains. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Du, however, grabbed the girl by the sweater, and the two began to fight. "[3] Instead she worked closely with Harlins' friends, developing a depiction of their childhoods and South Central Los Angeles. She created a script based on her interviews with OBard and Shinese Harlins, choosing recollections and anecdotes that touched the core of Latasha. She wanted the film to draw viewers into Latashas life and portray her girlhood dreams for the future before it revealed how she died. Was there a moment when you were filming that really resonated with you and your own experiences growing up as a Black girl in America? 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. Under cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that the blows from the husband probably were not as forceful as those attributed to Harlins. Du was arrested and when her case came to trial she told the court that she had shot Latasha on self-defence and that she believed her life was in danger. The case drew criticism after another LA County court case of cruelty to a dog was given a harsher sentence than the death of a teen. So it was this really beautiful coming together with a community, and of me engaging with my own childhood, my own path. Allison filmed throughout 2017 and the winter of 2018. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. [31] Since then, they had been a target of anger from both black shop-owners and black customers, with incompatible claims from either group that say Korean shop-owners "undercut prices" by the shop-owners and that they overcharged customers. The decision fanned the flames of racial unrest, which led to the LA riots. Latasha Harlins was a 15-year-old African-American girl who was fatally shot by Soon Ja Du, a 51-year-old Korean-born female convenience store owner. Du was arrested and her trial was held on November 15, 1991. Please don't believe the hype. [39] In both cases, there was video evidence depicting wrongdoing and in both cases, the defendants did not serve any jail time. 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. Still to this day, it's devastating for our family," Christine Harlins, her sister, said. Harlins, after telling Du she intended to pay for the juice, hit the grocer twice in the face as Du held onto her clothing, the witness said. People have seen it, and I think we really need to interrogate what it means to constantly think that it is necessary to see Black trauma, to see Black death as a way to make some sort of connection or as a way to make people understand the importance and the significance and the core of it. By the summer of 2017, Allison had edited the first two minutes of the video, which helped her establish the films visual style. Black customers were continuously frustrated by what they saw as rudeness and price-gouging on that part of Korean store clerks, as well as store owners refusal to hire any black employees. in reference to the Korean War. High school student Latasha had called into the Empire Liquor store, which was owned by Soon Ja Du, at around 10am on March 16, 1991. Udeorji advised Allison on sound editing and music licensing, and helped her with logistics, locations and casting during the two years she was shooting the film., At a gathering of filmmakers, Allison met Janice Duncan, who had worked as a director and producer on fictional features. Acoff Sr. was known to be abusive towards Crystal, attacking and beating her in front of Latasha and her younger siblings. Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, "The heartbreaking L.A. story behind Oscar nominee 'A Love Song for Latasha', "Sophia Nahli Allison's 'A Love Song For Latasha' Captures The Fullness Of Black Girlhood", "Netflix to debut heartbreaking doc 'A Love Song for Latasha', "How Six Documentary Directors Explored Untold Stories in 2020", "Latasha Harlins' Death Fueled the 1991 LA Riots. MARTINEZ: Latasha's brother Vester and her sister Christina were 10 and 8 when she died. A police officer testified later that injuries Du received may not have all come from the fight with Harlins. How come she can she just die for one bottle of juice?" The property later became a market under different ownership. It is estimated damage cost around $1billion. After speaking to his wife, who asked for the whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1 to report an attempted holdup. In Esquire, Gabrielle Bruney called it a "stirring portrait". 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. But Judge Joyce Karlin gave Du probation instead. The shopkeeper, Soon Ja Du, accused Harlins of trying to steal the juice before a scuffle broke out between the two. VESTER ACOFF: One of the favorite memories we had was when we used to be in the living room dancing and lip-syncing over music like a talent show. 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? Like Udeorji, Duncan was eager to help tell Harlins story., When Allison and Duncan toured South Central, they had ideas of what they wanted to shoot but let a lot unfold, Allison says. [17] The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also found that the handgun Du used was altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger to fire than an ordinary handgun. [28], After the widely publicized shooting of Latasha Harlins, relations between the black and Korean communities continued to deteriorate rapidly. I ran out the back of the gym, ran home. For me, dismantling the root is through my art, through my work as a storyteller and as an artist. The youngsters, who were at the store to buy hair gel for their mother, said Du had falsely accused Harlins of trying to steal a $1.79 bottle of orange juice, then after a scuffle threw a stool at Harlins and shot her as the teen-ager walked away. (2017, September 14). In her book American Dream, Sapphire wrote the poem Strange Juice (or the murder of Latasha Harlins) giving voice to the murdered girl. When you say dismantling the root, what do you think that looks like? [41], Denise Harlins interrupted an awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel for Du defense attorney Charles Lloyd. On Something 2 Die 4, he sings, Latasha Harlins, remember that name, Cause a bottle of juice aint something 2 die 4.. For help with production, she turned to her childhood friend Fam Udeorji, who has worked as creative producer on the Childish Gambino video This is America, written for the TV show Atlanta, and was the music supervisor for Creed II. It hurts, because I think the only answer is to defund the police. Racial tensions were high, especially between local Korean store-owners and their impoverished black patrons. In November, 1991, Du was found guilt of voluntary manslaughter, a crime that can result in a 16 year prison sentence, which the jury recommended she service. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. All rights reserved. Two were found guilty, Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon, while two were acquitted. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And I had a basketball game. "Fourteen years old? 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. In many ways, the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins on March 16, 1991 by convenience store clerk Soon White Judge Joyce Karlin, however, gave Du probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. Latasha Harlins voice isnt heard in the film. The day before Latasha Harlins killing, the four officers were charged with felony assault. And we knew Latasha would get them all right. And we are the ones that are understanding how important it is that art is a representation of our current times, that we are forced to confront and be uncomfortable. It was 25 years ago that a 15-year-old girl lost her life over a bottle of orange juice. Proceedings held in Compton were marked by confrontations between Dus supporters and backers of Harlins family. In the prosecutions opening statement, Carvajal said the gun used by Du had been altered by someone so that the trigger could be pulled with little pressure. Du was tried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Harlins' death and sentenced to time served, five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, a $500 restitution, and funeral expenses. They lived near 89th St. and Broadway, just a few blocks from where Latasha would be killed ten years later.[7][8]. 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. What signal does this send to Black girls about how society sees them in life and even in death? What are you hoping that people take away from your documentary about both Latasha Harlins story and the larger concept of Black girlhood? Almost none of the girls had acted before. When I would watch Moesha or Sister, Sister, it meant so much for me to see my existence reflected. When interesting scenes happened in front of them, we felt Latashas spirit with us, she says. Webhow old is alec and kaleb on the shriners commercial. Sixteen-year-old Bryant was shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, In his opening statement, Dus attorney, Charles Lloyd, contended that Du pulled a handgun in self-defense and accidentally shot Harlins. Left Ken Browar and Deborah Ory; Right John Paul Caponigro, Sundance Institutes New Frontier Lab Programs. Only two weeks before Latasha Harlins walked into Dus Empire Liquor Market, a black man named Rodney King was pulled over by four LAPD officers, three of whom were white, for speeding. 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. But she realized that to tell Harlins story, she needed to break free of everything Ive been taught about documentary work. 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.

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