MICHELLE KENNEY, mother of Antwon Rose II, pictured with Kahlil Darden Jr., 1 Hood Media founder/executive director Jasiri X, and Miracle Jones. (Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
‘Birthday Celebration’ held for Rose, who would have turned 23
Who could forget the name, Antwon Rose II?
The ambitious 17-year-old Black teen, shot three times by an East Pittsburgh Police officer as Rose fled from a vehicle with his back to the officer, on June 19, 2018.
Who could forget the outpouring of support for Rose, his mother, his father, his family, and Black Pittsburgh as a whole, as the shooting death of a Black teen by a White officer brought back horrendous memories of police brutality against African Americans in this country.
Who could forget the protests, which included the shutdown of a major highway (Parkway East), and the Tri-Boro Expressway?
Judging from the crowd at the Antwon Rose II Five-Year Birthday Celebration, July 12, in Highland Park, no one has forgotten about Antwon Rose II.
B-PEP CHAIRMAN TIM STEVENS, second from left, along with Valerie Dixon, center, and other supporters at the Antwon Rose II Birthday Celebration, July 12, at Highland Park. (Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
Rose would have been 18 years old on July 12, 2018, but the gunshots fired by former officer Michael Rosfeld cut Rose’s life short. Rosfeld was found not guilty of all charges in March 2019. Local organizations throw a “birthday party” for Rose each year on July 12, to pay tribute to Rose’s life and legacy. For the 2023 version, 1 Hood Media, The HEAR Foundation and the Antwon Rose Foundation sponsored the celebration.
People in the crowd held purple and white balloons, wore T-shirts that showed Rose’s smiling face, and hugged each other as they all have had to celebrate Rose’s birthday, without Rose physically present.
MICHELLE KENNEY, center, with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, second from right, local rapper Hardo, second from left, and members of 1 Hood Media. (Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
Pittsburgh’s mayor, Ed Gainey, was there as well. “Michelle, we love you,” he said, addressing Rose’s mother, Michelle Kenney. Mayor Gainey called the day a “bittersweet moment.”
“Bitter because we lost someone who should still be here at the hands of police violence, and we understand that, we know that, and we work every day to make it better; and sweet, because you can feel the love that’s in this room,” the mayor said. “As long as we can spread love, we can spread healing, and when we spread healing, we create a community that’s better for everybody.”
Jasiri X, founder and executive director of 1 Hood Media, said on the stage that Kenney is a fellow at 1 Hood, and she’s been creating a group called “Seventh Day,” which works with other mothers who have lost children to violence.
MICHELLE KENNEY, center, with supporters. (Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
“It’s a crew that no one wants to be part of,” Jasiri X said, but Kenney has been instrumental in helping those mothers and families who have lost loved ones.
Kenney also has played an impactful role in making sure local police agencies share all of the information about an officer with other police agencies. In 2021, then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro, with Kenney by his side, announced the creation of a statewide police misconduct database. Then-Governor Tom Wolf soon signed it into law.
Prior to becoming an East Pittsburgh Police officer, Rosfeld was terminated by University of Pittsburgh Police following an internal investigation with regards to an arrest at a bar near campus in late 2017. Pitt found that Rosfeld’s account of the events leading up to and including the arrests of three people didn’t match with what surveillance camera video showed. Had a statewide police misconduct database been in place back then, officials with East Pittsburgh may not have hired Rosfeld in the first place.
Rose would be 23 years old right now if he were alive. Who knows what things Rose would have accomplished and/or would be accomplishing right now if he were alive. However, June 19, 2018, changed everything. Ironically, June 19 is “Juneteenth,” though back in 2018, it was not a federal holiday, nor was it celebrated as much as it is today.
Kenney, on a Facebook post dated June 19, 2023, said that for her, Juneteenth is not a cause for celebration. “How can I celebrate on a day that my son was murdered. It’s hard to be happy when I lost one the best parts of me. Five years ago today, my world was shattered and as broken as I thought I was before that had no comparison to the brokenness I felt that night. My heart hurts so much sometimes that I think I’m going to die. As I watch everyone go on with their lives and his name get mentioned less and less; my heart hurts more and more. I didn’t just lose my son; I lost my everything! Antwon was my reason to live from the day that he was born, he was my angel that God knew I needed at that time. His face is my face, his smile is my smile, his heart is my heart. So no I can’t celebrate. I see his face in my sleep, I see it when I’m thinking, I see it when I am driving, I see it when I’m in the shower. There is no escaping the harsh reality my baby is gone and I’m left here alone to figure it out. And yes, I know the power of God; yes, I believe that there is a plan and obviously, I’m serving my purpose but today my heart hurts.”
(Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
(Photos by Emmai Alaquiva)
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