Letter To … Latasha

 Dear Latasha Nicole Walton,

You deserved so much better. You were a mother, a sister, a daughter, an aunt -- but before all of that, you were a human being. You deserved to live your life to the fullest, just as much as the next person. However, the life that you did live was one that people get to read about and smile. You were born on September 23rd, 1986 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at Broward General Hospital. During middle school, you were in a program called “Lady’s Intrigued” for young women on a mission for greatness, which is truly fitting because that’s what you were. You were destined for greatness, and people got to see that every step of the way. You were well-known, loved and admired by so many of your high school classmates. Your siblings, who you mothered alongside your son, Nunu, loved you dearly too. You were truly a superhero, raising all of them by working two jobs and giving them a roof over their heads. You even managed to start up your professional career and become your own Boss. You never stopped amazing people, opening up your own business distributing hair and other beauty products. I know you were extremely proud and excited to see your future plans come to fruition.

Another thing for you to be proud of was the way that you managed to be such an active, kindhearted mother. It was said that you would wake and dress your children for school, prepare their breakfasts and drive them to and from school. Your nephews and niece would often say that you were “the world’s greatest” because you would give them anything they asked for, and everything you did was full of love and done with a pure heart. They say that you had the kind of heart that was bigger than life, and to see other people happy was always your priority, whether they were friends and family, or strangers.

You will genuinely be missed, especially by your fiancé, Steve Charles. The person known as your “true love” and “lifelong partner,” you two were supposed to be married the following year. You would always tell your sister that you “found [your] husband,” and it was really a blessing that you got to experience such a great love in your lifetime.

Despite everything I just said, what should have been a beautiful life story and love story was cut short by our country’s police. Instead of having your life end due to natural causes, it ended because a poorly trained man with a badge looked at you and decided your life wasn’t worth preserving. Your fiancé, Steve Charles, had to watch as Florida Highway Patrol officer Ronald Melendez-Bonilla fired into your white BMW from the passenger side. As your car moved slowly on a roadway near the entrance to the Golden Glades Park & Ride, he fired at you not once, but several times. Your brother, Alphonso Wright Jr. begged the questions we all did: What was the officer shooting at? As he said, you didn’t try to hit the officer.

The thing is, U.S. police officers don’t actually have to have a reason to shoot when a Black person is sitting in the front seat of the car. Your family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to oversee your case and launch a federal investigation into your killing. According to the Miami Herald, “FHP policy states that a trooper is not permitted to use deadly force on a fleeing felon, including into a moving vehicle, unless there is “an imminent threat” to the trooper or to another person.” Even so, your shooting still remains under investigation, with justice yet to be served. I cannot find a single source stating that Officer Melendez-Bonilla was arrested for his crime, and that is infuriating to say the least. Nonetheless, it speaks volumes about the way that the U.S. Law Enforcement will do anything but serve and protect Black people.

Why did Officer Melendez-Bonilla hop in front of your car during the traffic stop? In what world is it necessary to yank out a gun because of a possible traffic violation? Why was he allowed to walk free after that? There are so many questions and so few answers -- answers that you and your family deserve more than anything. But that is what drives me and so many others around the world not to give up the fight to ensure that your story is told. That the stories of all the other Black cis and trans women and girls whose lives were lost because of police brutality and/or racism are told. We will continue to say your name. And you will not be forgotten. We will keep fighting for you, Latasha Nicole Walton.

Love,

Sita Conde

Author: Sita Conde

Addressee: Latasha Nicole Walton