(latimes.com) Friday was the funeral for Bryan J.D. Hollis, 23, at Bethel Baptist in Watts.

Hollis died Aug. 28 after he was shot in the Nickerson Gardens housing project.

Babies cried and squirmed as the burgundy-upholstered pews filled for his service. Some of the mourners wore T-shirts with Hollis’ picture.

[...]

Simpson’s mortuary staff passed out programs. On an inside page was a tribute from his mother, Eunice Blackwell:

“My son, my son,” she had written. “I don’t know how to say what I’m feeling right now…. I will miss you so very much.”

The tribute underneath was from his sister: “This is like unreal,” her entry read. “Just him lying there, all the blood he lost and nobody to help him.”

For most of the service, his mother sat silent, gripping a fan on stick, taking deep breaths, now and then lifting her dark sunglasses to dab her eyes. Two young women sang without accompaniment. A third walked up to microphone, tried to speak, then shook her head and sat down with a sob.

[...]

Pastor Reginald Pope then led the mourners in prayer. As the services ended, a cousin, Venita Hebert, dressed in black and white, suddenly darted up to the podium.

“I’m out of the program,” she admitted, leaning into the microphone. “But I want to say something.”

She took a breath, then began to speak:

“If you can do anything in your power to prevent another black man from dying, you need to do it,” she said, her voice rising. “I’m angry!” (more…)

Side note: 202 Black folks have been killed so far this year in Los Angeles.