The Atlantic

Nia Wilson and the Formula for Covering Black Death

The racial elements and gruesome details surrounding the teen’s killing have pushed the story into the public sphere. But only some black victims are afforded this kind of attention.
Source: Lorin Eleni Gill / AP

In a taken on Sunday, July 22, Nia Wilson is captured angling her phone and attempting to catch her best side. She’s donning pigtails and a floral top complemented by meticulously applied pink eyeshadow with hints of glitter. Wilson greets off-camera friends and family with hugs and smiles; a bright blue pool serves as her backdrop. She’d spend that afternoon at a pool-party cookout celebrating the life of her aunt, who had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Before she was anything to the public, Nia Wilson was a loving sister, daughter, and

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