my hands/wishful thinking is an internet memorial piece for Amadou Diallo. Diallo was killed by New York City policemen on February 5, 1999. The four policemen involved claimed that they thought Diallo's wallet was a gun and fired 41 shots, hitting him 19 times. Most of the information we received about Diallo's death was mediated by the internet and filtered through the lens of our browser. We thought it fitting that we mourn and make art in this public/private digital space. Keith's wallet, seen in the image, was purchased on 125th street in Harlem where Amadou Diallo worked as a vendor. In this piece there is one thought to counteract each bullet fired. The words are wishful thinking in the present tense. These thoughts reject the negative forces directed against us, the survivors, African people in the United States. Making this work is an enactment of our will to survive.
Keith + Mendi Obadike
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