A South Los Angeles playground in the Vermont Vista neighborhood will soon get a new name. KTLA reported that the park will be renamed for Latasha Harlins, the 15-year-old girl who was assaulted and murdered in 1991 by Soon Ja Du, a convenience store owner.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of an event that still shakes Black Los Angeles and is arguably one of the foreparents of modern Black activism. “Before there was George Floyd before there was Breonna Taylor, there was Latasha Harlins,” Najee Ali, a local activist, said. The teen’s death occurred 13 days after the Rodney King beating and is believed to be part of the cause of the 1992 riots.
The park is a part of the Algin Sutton Recreation Center, where Harlins went with her friend, Tybie O’Bard, often.
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On March 16, 1991, the young lady visited Du’s store liquor store. Du, a Korean-American, thought that the teen was attempting to steal orange juice and confronted her. Du assaulted Harlins by grabbing her by the sweater, and Harlins defended herself by punching Du. Du retrieved a revolver and shot Harlins in the back of the head as Harlins was leaving the store. She died instantly.
Du lied at trial, but two witnesses and store surveillance exposed her deception. Harlins had not stolen and, in fact, had money in hand to pay for the juice. After being found guilty, Judge Joyce Karlin gave Du a very light sentence involving probation, community service, restitution, and mandated to pay funeral expenses. She could have received 16 years for the voluntary manslaughter conviction.
Though Harlins never received the full justice she deserved, renaming is just one way of honoring the late teen. On January 1, 2021, what would have been her 45th birthday, a mural of Harlins was unveiled at the same playground.
Netflix is currently streaming the Academy Award-nominated documentary short, “A Love Song For Latasha,” that reimagines the late teen’s life outside of her murder.
While it is bittersweet, the remembrance of the teen, who wanted to be a lawyer, teaches us so many timely lessons.
