Relationships between siblings can be complicated. But when Rashaan Harrison-Smith finally saved up enough money to buy his first car, his sister was one of the first people he called.
“Rashaan was obsessed with cars,” says Latasha Hall, Rashaan’s younger sister. “I couldn’t even tell you what kind of car it was, but he knew everything about cars. He had his own car, a stable job and his own place. He wanted to show me his new life.”
It was the last time she was him.
Rashaan was born into a life marked by trials and tribulations, including time spent in jail. But his unrelenting positive outlook inspired others to be grateful for the life they had.
“Even though life was the way that it was for him, he still had a positive attitude,” Latasha says. “He breathed life back into other people.”
Tragically, Latasha didn’t get to see her big brother again before he was shot in the back and killed on Nov. 23 2023. Details about his death are unknown and no suspect has been arrested for the crime.
Latasha was one of many who felt the impact of Rashaan’s spirit. Miaa, who didn’t want to give her full name, was privileged to have Rashaan as a best friend during their time together at West Philadelphia High School.
“He was like a brother to me,” she says. “He was really cool. When you walked past him in the hall, you might think he was mean. But when you got to know him, he was so genuine.”
Miaa reflects on the respect she has for Rashaan when she thinks of the years they spent growing up together. “He helped me care less about what other people thought. He’s such an upstanding person. The love and respect I have for him is stronger than the love I feel for some people I’m bonded to by blood. He has a crazy past, but who doesn’t? That was one loving man.”
Rashaan was a father to two children. He wanted to be there for his babies, but was kept away from them due to his checkered past.
“They took his baby Ethan away,” explains Latasha. “He wanted to see his son very badly. He wanted to be a father, but he couldn’t. That was the biggest barrier for him and it was tough being there for him through that.”
Rashaan was an older brother to Charles, 22, Latasha, 21, Noah, 13, and Eve, 9. At the time of his death, he had a girlfriend of three years whom he loved deeply.
“There was never any sugarcoating with him,” says Miaa. “He was a tough love guy. He’d call you out – not in a disrespectful way, but more like Hey, that’s wrong. You gotta fix that. It was humbling.”
We all know someone like Rashaan. Rashaan was the kind of person who saw the good in people, even if their flaws sometimes outshone their goodness. He will not be forgotten.
Rashaan wasn’t perfect, struggling with his emotions and sometimes letting his anger get the best of him. But as Miaa points out, he never stayed in a negative space for too long. When something bad happened, he took it on the chin, dusted himself off, and moved on.
