My Hands/Wishful Thinking - Overview
"My Hands/Wishful Thinking" by Mendi and Keith Obadike delves into the experiences of a person who is killed by police for no fault of his own. The narrative begins with a calm tone, as the narrator is convinced that all people are good, and he will always be safe. However, as the story progresses, he begins to fear for his safety.
This new media narrative is told from the perspective of Amadou Diallo, who begins his story trying to believe that racism does not exist, and that he would never face police brutality. However, in February of 1999, he is shot 41 times by New York City policemen who believe that the wallet in Diallo's hand is a gun.
This electronic literature work, based on a true story, is read from a pop-up window. The reader opens the link, and a pop-up window appears with the number "1" and some text below it. After a few seconds, the window automatically reloads to page 2. This continues until the reader reaches the end of the work, and is redirected to a detailed description of the shooting of Amadou Diallo.
This work relates to social justice because it functions to raise awareness to the normalization of police brutality, and the fears faced by the people of color most at risk of facing police brutality. It accomplishes this by describing the perspective of an average person who wants to see the best in others but is ultimately wrongfully killed by police, sparking sympathy in the reader.
To access the work, visit: http://obadike.tripod.com/Adiallo2.html