And thats the only way for us to really begin to engage with inclusivity. Police later The gunshot struck Harlins in the back of the head, killing her instantly. She wanted to buy our grandmother a big old house. Get the latest headlines, releases and insider-gossip direct to your inbox with our Binge-worthy newsletter. And it still hurts," Ruth Harlins, her grandmother, said. You always have dreams.. Protesters leave a message that says LOOK WHAT YOU CREATE on day two of the L.A. I think we have a very long way to go. 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. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. [29] However, while tensions had exponentially increased because of the killing of Harlins, they were built on existing conflict that had been present in the community. All rights reserved. [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. [2] The sentencing was widely regarded as an extremely light sentence, and a failed appeal[3] contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, especially the targeting of Koreatown, Los Angeles, California. The sister firmly denied Lloyds repeated suggestion that Harlins had threatened to kill Du. She was trying to walk out the door, said Lakeshia Combs, Alis sister and another witness. [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. After the change in national immigration laws in 1965 a large number of Korean immigrants arrived in Los Angeles and by 1968 the first Korean-owned market opened in South Central LA. The jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of 16 years. Please try again. ), 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. [39] The sentencing of Soon Ja Du reflected that of the police officers who beat Rodney King. And so I think thats when the nation has to really acknowledge how many of the folks here have been complicit in watching and witnessing young Black girls be stripped of their lives. [35] Many of the targets of looting and destruction were Korean stores; more than two thousand Korean stores burned or looted. Harlins approached the counter with cash in hand. Judge Karlin also became a target for numerous protests and later stepped down from the bench. Finally, 2,000 troops from the California National Guard were called in, and the 1992 riots came to an end. [6], In early 2021, a mural celebrating Latasha Harlins was unveiled in front of Algin Sutton Recreation Center. All Rights Reserved. Allison began applying for grantsand getting several rejectionsin 2017. 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 insisted she asked the schoolgirl if she planned to pay for the orange juice and claims Latasha replied 'what orange juice'. Related Links:Frames Per Second: How Independent Filmmakers Earn Back Their Production InvestmentTips for Pitching Your Film Successfully to Festivals and FundersThe Funding and Distribution of a Feature-Length DocumentaryFirst-Time Director Jonathan Olshefski on Creating a Feature-Length Documentary, January 7, 2020 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. ROGERS: I remember we were at the park, and that's where the ice cream truck used to come. Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the gunshot and rushed into the store. The community simmered in anger. But just for me, as a young girl, acknowledging that there was this secret language happening on the screen, it made me feel like I had a community, a place to be seen and understood. Du was arrested and her trial was held on November 15, 1991. Everyone knew about the disrespect shown to black customers by the Korean owners, and they tried to avoid it as much as possible. Tasha died. And we knew Latasha would get them all right. We encountered an issue signing you up. Surveillance footage showed the girl was shot in the back of the head. This may have been the last known photo taken of Latasha Harlins. I just knew that I was blessed to have an older sibling that looked after me, that loved me. [3] Ava DuVernay programmed the documentary as part of Array 360, and it was then picked up by Netflix. How 15-Year-Old Latasha Harlins Murder Over A Bottle Of Orange Juice Helped Spark The L.A. I want people to remember that Latasha was a girl, that she was a child. CHRISTINA ROGERS: Latasha was so popular. By the summer of 2017, Allison had edited the first two minutes of the video, which helped her establish the films visual style. 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. Site Map, 2023 Emerald Expositions, LLC. Jasmine M. Ellis: What inspired you to make A Love Song for Latasha? The DSLR was inconspicuous when she was shooting on location in schoolyards and streets in South Central. They remembered being young when Latasha was killed. 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. Sophia Nahli Allison: There were so many intersecting reasons that I wanted to pursue this story. Du grabbed the bag and the two women had a violent scuffle. In the aftermath of the riots, LAPD's chief of police, Daryl Gates, resigned and rival gangs called a temporary truce, including the Crips and the Bloods. We did our best to pay just about everyone who was a part of the crew, and some people did it out of love, Allison says. Why is it so important, especially now, to humanize Black girls on the screen? In 1998, the California State Assembly named April 29 as Latasha Harlins Day. Kisuk Jun of the Koreatown Neighborhood Council said. If they don't validate the existence of other Black women and girls then they have no right to work with me. This is not the movies, said Deputy District Attorney Roxane Carvajal before showing the tape in court. I think every single one of them deeply affected me. Fueling the tension of the neighborhood was a never-ending onslaught of city-sponsored surveillance violence. WebA 15-year-old girl formed a cult that murdered up to 35 people as human sacrifices to become immortal. The death of her mother had a devastating impact on Latasha, who began to rebel and argue with her maternal grandmother and her maternal aunt Denise. 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 There have been conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion within the film and television industry for years now. ? Im hoping that people really begin to engage with new ways of discussing Black trauma. 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. At the time of her own death in 1991, Latasha was a student at Westchester High School. [38], The killing of Latasha Harlins was one of many events in Los Angeles that may have led to the riots in 1992. Atop these voice-overs, there are photos of Harlins and footage of the South Central community in which Harlins grew up. . Send me updates about Slate special offers. Sophia Nahli Allisons short film A Love Song for Latasha describes the friendship between three girls who grew up together in South Central Los Angeles: Latasha Harlins, her cousin Shinese Harlins and her best friend, Tybie Ty OBard. 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. But she realized that to tell Harlins story, she needed to break free of everything Ive been taught about documentary work. But she didn't belong [on the bench] anyway. And theres no protection for Black girls when we have to rely on a system that is deeply rooted in white supremacy. Under cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that the blows from the husband probably were not as forceful as those attributed to Harlins. All rights reserved, Man Accused in West LA Hate Shootings Was Subject of Law Enforcement Alert, Pepper Spray Used on High Schoolers as Anti-Racism Protest Grows Unruly', Experts Say Big Bear Bald Eagle Eggs Unlikely to Hatch, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, Beckham High School Teacher in Irvine Accused of Recording Students in Bathroom. Ty and Shinese want to create their own community center. However, on the morning of the shooting, Du was working behind the counter, and her husband was outside resting in the family van. "[44][45] Karlin was re-elected to the Superior Court bench by a reduced margin from previous elections. Diversity means we see you, but we really dont need to engage with you. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Set up your online access now. RUTH HARLINS: I had said, get some orange juice. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. She was just always a motivating factor in my life. 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. Jeanne Baret Was The First Woman To Circumnavigate The Globe And She Disguised Herself As A Man To Do It, An Isolated Miner In Alaska Just Survived A Week-Long Struggle With A Grizzly Bear Before The Coast Guard Saw His SOS, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. [50], Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane composed "Empire Liquor Mart (9127 S. Figueroa St.)" for the album The Ambassador in 2014, which tells the story of Latasha's life and the event that transpired.[51]. EN. (Never Ignorant About Getting Goals Accomplished)", "True to the Game: Ice Cube's 'Death Certificate', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Latasha_Harlins&oldid=1142220736, African-AmericanAsian-American relations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 04:43. 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. It is estimated damage cost around $1billion. [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. And something that really deeply touched me was some of the young girls that I featured, I went to high school with their parents. WebThe best-known fact about Harlins, whose friends and family called her Tasha, is that she was killed over a $1.79 bottle of juice. After speaking to his wife, who asked for the whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1 to report an attempted holdup. Born in Illinois, she was just six when her parents, Crystal and Sylvester, made the decision to move their family to Los Angeles. ("Korean motherfuckers was crooked/So niggas had to burn and loot 'em [] Lickin' off shots for Latasha, that's proper"). Harlins' death came 13 days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King. After a short scuffle, Du grabbed a 0.38-caliber handgun and shot Harlins in the back of her head. Du, however, grabbed the girl by the sweater, and the two began to fight. )[2] But the organization's indifference and incomprehension of the subject's significance prompted a realization for Allison that "I could no longer work within institutions that don't validate the importance of my existence. A police officer testified later that injuries Du received may not have all come from the fight with Harlins. A video of the incident was given to a local TV station and ignited international outrage. She cooked. You will see Latasha being killed. She picked the juice up from the floor, where it had fallen, placed it on the counter, and walked away. Allison, who had only shot documentaries and had no experience directing actors, would first tell the girls what she wanted to show, then simply follow them and observe. Family members said they hope Latasha's legacy evolves to be about love and justice.