With fatal police shootings at their peak, what does this mean for the families that have lost a loved one? In 2016, Donte Taylor, a young Black man was gunned down by Los Angeles County Deputies, breaking the heart and transforming the path of his younger brother DJ. With the release of a documentary titled A Brother's Loss: A Portrait of DJ Taylor, produced by Son of Ra Art & Entertainment & Holy Pageant Ministry, you can witness the Taylor family's experience through the eyes of DJ Taylor, devout Christian and Hip-Hop musician. Through his inspiring perseverance, we can develop a better understanding of the devastating hardship caused by police killings.
When I heard about DJ's story, a few years before the George Floyd tragedy, I was deeply interested in creating the opportunity for DJ's voice to be heard, Mark Maccora, the film's director based in Los Angeles, California, said in our interview. DJ chose such a positive way of dealing with this exceptionally painful incident in his life. It's inspiring to see someone so young being so mature.
Like many self-funded documentaries, this took a long time to complete. There was a pending court case that delayed the start, and most of it was filmed during the height of Covid. Mark continued. Even though there were many threads of the story that I wanted to pursue, I chose DJ's voice for clarity and to honor the story the family wanted to tell. DJ's perseverance and faith are a real testament to his soulful character.
After viewing the documentary multiple times, I can tell you we need more DJ Taylors in our world. His kind hearted message, and approach to life is inspirational, especially to those struggling with hardships of their own. With his Christian upbringing and strong faith, DJ Taylor brings his unique experiences to life through his music. With musical inspirations like A Tribe Called Quest, Drake, Chance the Rapper, and Anderson .Paak, as well as the old Gospel songs that he grew up listening to with his parents, DJ Taylor has drawn from his life experiences and idols to create some very captivating poetry and music of his own.
DJ Taylor's story is one that will forever be marked by the unjust loss of his brother Donte, but even more so will be remembered by his ability to turn catastrophe into goodwill. The Taylor family is an inspiration to anyone who is struggling with injustice, and shows that through determination, passion, and most importantly devotion to God anything is possible. With his faith being his leading principle, DJ is unstoppable, and I feel that his name will soon have international attention. Watch the documentary here. You will be inspired.
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