Nine-year-old Jamyla Bolden was doing schoolwork in her Ferguson, Missouri home last Tuesday night when someone fired a gun at her window, striking and killing her.
“I was heartbroken,” Thi’sl, who lives in St. Louis and has a daughter around Bolden’s age, told KSDK-TV. “And I just want these things that are happening in our community — the violence … this black-on-black … It’s so much of a norm, but when stuff like this happens, we can’t let this begin to be the normal.”
Thi’sl, who was heavily involved in an effort keep Ferguson as peaceful as possible after the Mike Brown tragedy last summer, took action again. Along with a local radio personality, Thi’sl helped organize a rally to honor Bolden and support the finding of her killer.
“When police involved shootings happen, our fight and our fuss is that we’re protecting our people,” Thi’sl said. “I just want to encourage our young black men, and our elders, and white men, and whoever — whoever lives in the community … these are the opportunities that we have to step up and protect our children.”
Tomorrow #JusticeForJamyla #StopTheViolenceSTL pic.twitter.com/BKomIYMePW
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 22, 2015
On Sunday, hundreds gathered in Ferguson for the rally.
Hundreds of people, from different ethnic & economic backgrounds, came together to stand for 9yr old Jamyla Bolden pic.twitter.com/o89ficzHtc
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 24, 2015
Bolden’s death came just days after Thi’sl released his mixtape, Heavy is the Head, which he wrote much of in response to the tragedies in Ferguson, Baltimore and across America over the past year.
“We want to help bring back community base leadership,” Thi’sl told FOX 2 Now St. Louis.
9yr Jamyla Bolden killed in St. Louis last night by a stray bullet. When y'all get done on Page, she needs justice 2 pic.twitter.com/up3dAlotov
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 20, 2015
Jamyla Bolden's death should have sparked the kind of outrage that we see on Page and Walton. 9yr old baby killed while doing her homework
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 20, 2015
It doesn't fit the narrative though. She'll get a couple tweets here and there but no real outrage. I'm TICKED! I have a daughter her age
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 20, 2015
National news gone jump all over the police shooting. 'Activists' gone jump all over the police shooting. Who's going to fight 4 Jamyla
— KING THI'SL (@Thisl) August 20, 2015
