South Central, Los Angeles–A Love Song For Latasha, debuted Sep. 21 on Netflix highlighting the life of Latasha Harlins directed by Sophia Nahli Allison. The 15-minute mini documentary is intended to explore the dreams of Harlins that were cut short by a fatal bullet, told by those who knew Harlins best.
Although Harlins was a young girl growing up in a community plagued by violence and drugs but she was not killed by a stray bullet. She was killed by Soon Ja Du, a 51-year-old Korean woman who owned a store in South Central. She suspected Harlins of attempting to steal a bottle of orange juice less than two dollars.
Read More: Latasha Harlins’ Killing By Korean Store Owner Highlighted Racial Tensions in South Central
Du was convicted for manslaughter after footage from the store showed Harlins tried to pay for the juice before being shot, she would serve no jail time.
A Love Song For Latasha director Sophia Allison tells The Grio:
“As an LA native, I’m really interested in what it means to interrogate and conjure and excavate stories of the community and stories of Black women and Black girls,” Allison told theGrio exclusively.
“Being a young girl during the riots, Latasha wasn’t a name I often heard. It was always Rodney King. It’s still a story people don’t talk about and her name is often forgotten. She played such an important and devastating role in that shift that happened in South Central and I wanted to see her story live in its fullness.”
Read Full interview: Netflix to debut heartbreaking doc ‘A Love Song for Latasha’
Video: Netflix
