Fresh Ink: An Anthology

Willie and Big Eddie, two dead African American teens, are tagging a wall (writing their nicknames in stylized graffiti on it) in a “dingy urban hallway in some dingy urban city” (72). Big Eddie says he was told that as long as someone remembers you, you live on. He and Willie are tagging the wall in an effort to get people to see their tags as a way for them to live on in the afterlife. Big Eddie explains that he died in Marcus Garvey Park. He thought he could sell five pounds of weed, but it was a setup by the cops, and he was killed after pulling his gun.

They discuss how dying is a “funny feeling.” Big Eddie accepted his death only when people set up a vigil for him, but the sanitation department removed the offerings. Willie says they did the same for him, with a “Rest in Peace” sign. He comments on how, in death, they aren’t “resting,” as they continually tag walls to stay ahead of those cleaning them. D’Mario arrives and tells the two boys that a chemical spray now lets them easily clean walls. Willie says that it can be avoided if your tag is nice, as people see it as