Gangrey
Vol. I · No. 1Prolonging the Slow Death of NewspapersEst. 2026

Lonely Protest

A dead son, a PA and no one to listen

Here's John Doherty: Jackie Burnett watched Omari Shakur from a block away. She watched him push a PA system into place and post the black, red and green Marcus Garvey Black Power flag next to a phone pole that was wrapped in bandannas.



Some of the bandannas were faded from six months worth of rainstorms, and all of them were left behind in tribute to Shakur's dead son.



Burnett's been here in this spot for years, on the stoop next to the bodega on the corner of William Street. She was here when the clerk, Papi Morales, was shot dead in 2005. She was here last Oct. 30 when Shakur's son, Antonio Bryant, 23, sprinted across Broadway in the early evening darkness, firing away at the…

Keep reading with a membership

This story is for Gangrey members. Join to read it in full, unlock the archive, and support narrative nonfiction.

Become a Member

Keep Reading

People of diverse skin tones fist bumping in a circle.Essays

How to be a Diversity Hire

1 Min
An empty hospital bed sits in a dimly lit room.Micro-Memoir

Goodnight, Grandpa

1 Min
A group of people walking across a street.Micro-Memoir

Sonder

1 Min

Leave a comment