Opera singer Davóne Tines and filmmaker Julie Dash collaborated on the short film "HOMEGOING," commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The film was created as part of the exhibition "MONUMENTS" at The Brick and MOCA in Los Angeles, curated by Hamza Walker, which interrogates American identity through historical relics. Tines and Dash discuss their shared Southern roots, the role of ritual in healing, and the emotional process of filming inside the historic church.
This collaboration matters because it uses art to address a painful chapter in American history—the racist hate crime that killed nine Black parishioners—and transforms a site of trauma into one of hope and remembrance. By weaving together music, film, and personal narrative, Tines and Dash offer a model for how contemporary artists can engage with monuments, memory, and racial justice. The project also highlights the ongoing relevance of exhibitions like "MONUMENTS" that challenge traditional narratives of American identity.