Urban Community Wears Grief on their Sleeves
NEW HAVEN, Conn. –Courtney Williams didn’t wear a black dress or suit to the funeral of her 13-year-old friend, Jajuana Cole. She wore a T-shirt.
It reads "RIP Jajuana," with a photo of the smiling teenager. It also includes her date of birth and death and the words, "We will always love you."
"I’m showing my respect," said the 14-year-old Williams. "That’s my homegirl."
In New Haven, Hartford and cities across the nation, "rest in peace" shirts have become a popular symbol of grief and proper funeral attire, especially at services for victims of violence.
Cole was shot to death on June 16 while standing with friends outside her apartment building. A group of four men opened fire, allegedly aiming for a rival gang member in the crowd. Instead, police say, they hit Jajuana and two friends.
Making RIP shirts, buttons, and tags that resemble backstage concert credentials has become a good business for Rodney Matthews, who owns Exclusive Line-Z, a shop in East Hartford that makes custom shirts.
A back corner of his store is filled with sample RIP shirts, which gained noteriety in the late 1990s after rapper Master P mentioned them in the song "Is There a Heaven 4 a Gangsta."
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