Noor Malhotra
Latasha Harlins was bold, fierce, and ambitious. She wanted to become a lawyer when she grew up, and help uplift her community. Harlins, despite her mother’s passing when she was just a young girl, stayed on track in terms of her education in the hopes of graduating. Unfortunately, though, she too lost her life at the tender age of 15, and it was her aunt who was arguably affected by the ordeal the most.
Denise Harlins Turned Her Grief Into Motivation
Denise Harlins was born on April 2, 1963, and was an avid advocate against gun violence. She walked this path when her niece, Latasha Harlins, was shot by a Korean immigrant named Soon Ja Du, who owned Empire Liquor Market. The 15-year-old, who wanted to purchase orange juice, put the item in her bag and took out the money to pay for it. But Du did not see the latter and accused Latasha of wanting to steal the $1.79 item. An altercation ensued, and Latasha left the juice on the counter and proceeded to leave. This is when Du shot the teenager in the back of her head, killing her instantly.
Before this incident, Denise had worked with the state Department of Insurance. She then left the position to go back to college to study business management as she had aspirations of starting her own business while also evolving into a social advocate. She said this about that part of her life— “My life was completely different before. I wasn’t politically involved. I didn’t know how to even write a press release.”
Denise had also moved in with her mother, Ruth, who was raising Latasha and her siblings after their mother’s death. Shortly after her niece passed away, the former set up The Latasha Harlins Justice Committee. Its purpose was to overturn the lenient sentence that Du was given and to also recall the judge. However, sadly, neither feat was accomplished. The aunt also stated that she had a tough time defending Latasha’s personality— “She wasn’t involved in any type of (illegal) activity. They always tried to make Latasha the criminal, not Du.” Denise also said that she would never quit trying to get justice for her niece.
Later, when Charles E. Lloyd (who was a part of Du’s legal counsel) was honored as the Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Criminal Justice Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Denise was present. As he received the award, she called out — “How can you have the unmitigated gall to–the audacity to celebrate the death of my niece? All you people sitting, applauding over a child killer… Latasha was defenseless. She didn’t do nothing!” She was eventually escorted outside the premises by the police.
Denise Harlins Passed Away in 2018
Denise Harlins, Latasha’s aunt as well as her biggest defender at every step of the way, unfortunately, passed away on December 25, 2018, due to congestive heart failure. In the days to follow, a candlelight vigil was held for her in Leimert Park Village. Najee Ali, the CEO of Project Islamic Hope and Denise’s friend, said, “Harlins became a staunch activist who led the protests demanding justice for her murdered niece and continued to speak out against gun violence and violence against children as well as calling for racial unity. I lost a dear friend and fellow activist. Denise represented the best of South Central.”
Read More: Where is Soon Ja Du Now?
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