Each day, we experience another death, tragedy, or loss of life to violence, and we have no answers. Many people–good people–are working to help families and the community cope with the hurt and pain that comes with loss, particularly tragic loss.
As Scoop tries to support our communities, victims, and families, we have partnered with Zarinah Lomax and The Apologues to respect those we have lost by sharing portraits and brief introductions into the lives of the families that “The Apologues” has featured.
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Artist: Artistik Beatz
Untitled, Acrylic on canvas
Co-victim: Terry Jenkins
Victim: Te’Jan Adris Jenkins
Tejan Jenkins was murdered on July 24, 2020, four days after his 19th birthday.
He had a lot of friends, and unfortunately, those friends were not the right
choice for the big heart he had to give to the world. Tejan was his mother’s only son, and he is extremely missed every day. His mother Terry is the co-victim reflected in the portrait, as it was too painful for others to share.
Terry says: There has to be another word for being missed because miss is not strong enough to describe what I feel. I will forever have a smile of wistfulness, but I will never be the same.
What is The Apologues?
The Apologues (under the fiscal sponsorship of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers) is a fashion and art exhibit that uses the arts to assist individuals in healing, empowering themselves, and advocating against gun violence and trauma that plague urban communities. Through the use of fashion, art, and music, The Apologues honors the emotions of untreated trauma through the realm of storytelling to trigger healing. We do this through the combination of self-portraits of victims and co-victims, wearable art, and musical experiences combined.
For more information and to support this initiative, visit our website, https://www.theapologues.org