Handz Up

When the protests end and the media moves onto the next stories, the families of those who have lost loved ones due to police brutality must now try to put their lives back together. They must continue to fight for justice for their loved ones. "Handz Up" is written and directed by Roosevelt Jackson of Washington, DC. This production tells the story of Clay Johnson, a young father, who is struggling with depression and PTSD due to viewing the death of his teenage son Tray. The tragedy took place one afternoon when Clay was pulled over for a routine traffic stop while on the way to the water park with his two sons. During the stop, one of the police officers glanced in the backseat where Tray and his brother were playing with a plastic orange water gun and opened fire on Tray in the backseat of their car. Since the day of the murder, the Johnson's existence has been ruptured and their spirituality has been hindered in such a way that they are fighting with one another trying to sustain themselves from the emptiness they have succumbed to since that hot day in June. The once unbreakable bond shared among a happy family has since vanished with nothing left but the residue of memories both fond and horrific. Yolanda Lana Green finally met the man of her dreams. They soon were wed and had two beautiful daughters and their future looked so promising. On an afternoon drive, the couple was stopped by a state trooper. Before Yolanda was fully able to process the encounter between the officer and her husband, her life as she knew it changed in an instant. Unbeknownst to herself, she surrendered into a state of seclusion. She lacked support, motivation and often suffered from anxiety. She tried to be strong for her children's well-being, but slowly became undone at the seams day by day. Her new life's alteration has moved her into a direction that she is unsure where it may lead or leave her. She must find herself, in order to know her true wealth and learn how to move forward for the sake of her daughters.