Posted by Nicholas Stix
Thanks to my partner in crime, David in TN, who writes:
A 20-year-old black male named Clarence Bourne was shot dead walking home from his girlfriend's house in South LA. This is what black-on-black killings are like. Unknown shooters come out of nowhere and vanish. Not a ripple of national attention. No indignation from so-called black leaders.
* * *
An empty chair at graduation because of a promising life cut short
Clarence Bourne, 20, had excelled in Venice YouthBuild, a program that provides education and leadership opportunities. Gunshots in South L.A. ended his dreams.
Candles, photos, stuffed animals and other items mark where 20-year-old Clarence Bourne was gunned down on South Budlong Avenue in Exposition Park. (Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times / June 29, 2013)
By Nicole Santa Cruz
July 7, 2013, 8:49 p.m.
Los Angeles Times
As smiling men and women in blue graduation gowns entered the hotel ballroom and took their seats, Angela Myles eyed the chair that would not be filled.
The chair would be occupied by a neatly folded cap and gown instead of by her son, 20-year-old Clarence Bourne.
Myles, sitting at the front table with her two daughters, couldn't stop staring.
"Why can't my son be there too?" she kept wondering, her eyes occasionally filling with tears.
Bourne, the youngest and only boy in a family [N.S.: A "family"? Really?] with three girls, was killed in Exposition Park five days earlier, gunned down as he walked home from his girlfriend's house. Family members said he wanted to get home early that night for a job interview in the morning.
[Methinks some details are missing from this story.]
The last 10 months had been transformative for Bourne, who had graduated from Manual Arts High School in 2011 without much of a plan. Longing for a life outside of South Los Angeles, he signed up for Venice YouthBuild, a program that offers construction jobs, education and leadership opportunities to young men and women, most of them from high-crime neighborhoods.
From the beginning, Bourne, who his classmates said resembled Kanye West, stood out because of his self-awareness. He was raised by Myles, a senior cook at the L.A. County Twin Towers Correctional Facility, who kept a close eye on her four children. [What about their father(s)?]
She always told them that even though they lived in "the 'hood," they didn't need to become involved in gangs. Bourne talked about how strong he thought his mother was, said Kevin Michini, Bourne's case manager. [Why did Bourne have a case manager?]
"Those values kind of got instilled in Clarence," Michini said.
Through the program, the quiet Bourne became somewhat of a leader by example, students said.
"The term they use is called 'positive transformation,' and I can see myself transforming into a more positive social person," he wrote in an autobiographical essay.
In a recent poem, he described growing up in South L.A.:
If you wear my eyes, you see traffic stacked like blocks
Cops cruising by like clouds in the sky
You see puddles of trash as if the rain was garbage
Neighborhood drunks posted on the corner like fire hydrants
And you see kids running around like blind mice looking for cheese
To escape this, Bourne woke at 5:15 a.m. on weekdays to catch the bus or Metro to get to Venice by 7:30 a.m. Sometimes, he'd offer others in the program a place to stay, or he'd make the trek to Venice with a friend.
There were days, said his friend, Eric Elliott, when the participants felt unmotivated. Depending on the project, Bourne would keep working — whether it was in construction or gardening or a classroom activity.
"He was like a lead-by-example type of person," Elliot, 22, said.
In the days before graduation, Bourne was interviewing for jobs. He was scheduled to take an electrician test three days before his death.
At the beginning of the graduation ceremonies, Michini stepped to the podium to present Bourne's awards.
"As you heard, he fell victim to the streets of Los Angeles this past Sunday," Michini said.
[No; the streets don't kill. He fell victim either to one or more black males or to one or more Hispanic males.]
Bourne received more awards — in construction, community service, leadership and career development — than any other graduate.
Myles and her daughters were called up to the stage to accept the honors. Myles was visibly moved as she stepped to the microphone.
"I am so proud of my son, OK? And I'm glad all you guys got a chance to know him. Thank you very much."
Amid the talk of futures and possibilities, Myles kept thinking of all that her son accomplished in the program. She didn't know he was learning so much about himself.
"I just would like to know what he could have accomplished."
Died June 23, 2013 at 10:14 p.m.
3900 S. Budlong Avenue
Clarence Bourne, a 20-year-old black man, was fatally wounded Sunday, June 23, in the 3900 block of South Budlong Avenue in Exposition Park, according to L.A. County coroner's records.
Bourne had left his girlfriend's house about 9:55 p.m. and was walking southbound on South Budlong Avenue when one to two people approached Bourne and fired multiple gunshots, said LAPD Det. Sal LaBarbera.
Bourne, who worked a construction job in Santa Monica, fell to the ground and was later found on the sidewalk.
He was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m., according to coroner's records. Police are seeking witnesses to the shooting.
Anyone with information can call LAPD at (213) 485-4341. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
—Nicole Santa Cruz
13 reader comments about Clarence Bourne
"Can't even walk home from a girl friend's house in peace these days WTF, back in 90's I had to walk from my GF's house to the bus stop and pass 3 or 4 hoods along the way and I never got head up, shot or robbed, but punks these days just shoot anyone with or without gang ties, we need to take back these streets, this is getting out of hand."
— James
June 26, 2013 at 6:17 a.m.
"My baby brother was a good man. My heart hurts. He was not a gang member, and he did not deserve this. Please anyone with any information regarding this please come forth and contact the police. You can remain anonymous. We need answers and this needs to stop. The good ones are always the victims... Please help our family find closure. God bless"
— KBourne2
June 26, 2013 at 6:58 a.m.
"Clarence Bourne was a reputable, respectable and respected, very loved young man by anyone who knew him. Please pray for friends and family for such a senseless end to a growing young man's life who was going to graduate with honors and awards this Friday and become an electrician to help the community. Rest in Peace, Clarence R. Bourne. You will be missed."
— KBourne
June 26, 2013 at 7:57 a.m.
— coolbrutha
June 27, 2013 at 9:54 p.m.
"My little cousin was a ball of joy. The silliest most happiest man I knew. Why would anyone want to harm him? PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO PLEASE SPEAK UP. WE NEED JUSTICE. Our hearts need to be at ease ! Please."
— MVeliz
June 29, 2013 at 12:01 p.m.
"I bet the shooter or shooters were Lantino gang members, it doesn't matter if he gang banged or not he died that night because of his skin color, it makes me sick to think people are dying because of their skin color, this is the way God made us learn to live with it and stop killing people because of their skin."
— Rather no say
June 29, 2013 at 5:58 p.m.
"R.I. P. Clarence. To the family I know your hurt and your cry for answers. Leave it in Gods hands and it will all come forth."
— shaundra
July 1, 2013 at 4:20 p.m.
"This is such a tragedy. What a fine young man the community has lost. I read about his work in another article, and he was on his way to a good life. These killings are just so sad. I wish the entire LA community would realize these are all of our children and they are being slaughtered by gang violence and the gun. God bless him, his girlfriend and family. It is way to sad."
— Bill White
July 3, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.
That's a bold statement. Do you have facts? Were you there?
If you have infromation about this killing, help the family by contacting the police and share these facts with them..."
— DCT
July 4, 2013 at 12:49 p.m.
"you cant just assume that the person that shot him was or wasn't Latinos. Blacks shoot black, latinos shoot latinos it's not to say it was by their skin color. It is sad that he was shoot but we cant assume that it was a racial matter till we have evidence."
— WHY IT MATTERS
July 5, 2013 at 1:30 p.m.
"My lil cousin couldn't even finsh living his life in it piss me the hell off evertime I think about it love u babe boy u alway be miss are family in pain love ur big cousin"
— vmyles
July 6, 2013 at 4:41 p.m.
"this area is not racisit.. Some Hispanic gangs coincide together with blacks in peace, and some have tension and beef. it all depends, killing because your black? I doubt it, I know dozens of black gangs that make big money with Hispanic gangs on the LOW. most racist Hispanics are in areas where blacks are 5-10% population..like canoga park, or Azusa..they have nothing else to do.. but real LA Hispanic gangs don't trip of color lines..they might say nig*er and mayate but they have strong black allies..from growing up and sharing the same neighborhood .. example..Florencia 13 some might says is a racisit gang because of the long war with the EC crips in the firestone area, but they are good friends with the swans bloods a few blocks away...GO FIGURE"
— don newcolmb
July 8, 2013 at 2:05 p.m.
"It's all a ruse, they can't make it too obvious because it brings too much heat, believe me the brown on black, black on brown is far worse than you think."
— What
July 9, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.
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1 comment:
To the gentleman that questioned the whereabouts of his father; That would be me. Clarence Bourne! You can't begin to understand what it feels like to lose a son... First of all the reason I did not attend his graduation is because I had the much less festive task of choosing his Casket and Burial location at the Mortuary and then the Cemetery that very day!!! I do not understand why you reporters when you are speaking about a Black Family you want to portray the Black Father as MISSING!!! You couldn't walk a mile in a Black Man's Shoes. All of the Values and Mannerisms that my son had he learned from his Father! His leadership qualities he immolated from his DAD!!! He was not a product of the hood as they want you to think!!! My Son did not live in the Hood!! He grew up on a very quite street near the USC campus across the street from my Mom. My sisters and my daughters (his sisters) as well as his mom. I moved to Vegas in 2003 when I got into the Auto Sales Industry. In 2006 Clarence wanted to see Vegas. He lived with me off and on in Las Vegas for some time and attended his first semester in High School in Vegas with me also. On the weekends he would come to work with me at the Hyundai dealership where I was a Sales Manager. I put him in a Suit and Tie just like his DAD! He was a natural born Salesman! A Big Smile and a Firm hand shake! Welcome! Are you here to see my DAD! he would ask the customers. He got home sick for his Mom and Sisters and they missed him as well. He just started to date his Girl Friend who's home he was leaving from that terrible night. It was just too much for him to be away from the Loving Lady's in his young and fruitful Life... However the Love he Had and showed to me (HIS FATHER)!!! was unmatchable from any Love that I have ever felt in my Life! I did not have my father in my life and I was not going to let Clarence experience that and he didn't!!! That is why I gave him my name! He was supposed to keep my name going!!! How do you think I feel??? I have been grieving since this tragic event and did not get to read all of the wonderful and negative things people had to say about my son until today. So please do not make any more assumptions about the whereabouts of his DAD!!!
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