Under the baobab: ‘The Osaze Project’ examines a community tragedy and response
On March 19, 2019, Penn State administrator Sylvester Osagie had not heard from his son, Osaze, for several days. Osaze, a 29-year-old African American man, was on the autism spectrum. Sylvester was concerned that he may have stopped taking his medication. He called the State College borough police.
Dr. Osagie and the police searched for Osaze. When they could not find his son, he filed for a 302 warrant. It allows authorities to take an individual into medical custody to determine whether they are a potential danger to themselves or others. The next day, March 20, Osaze was seen returning home from the store. Three police officers went to Osaze’s apartment to serve the 302 warrant. Less than a minute after they knocked on the door, Osaze was dead, shot by the police. The officers claimed that Osaze had attacked them with a knife.
Two investigations, one by the district attorney, another by the police department, exonerated the three officers, determining that they had reacted appropriately and followed standard departmental procedures. The investigators also determined that race was not a factor in the case, even though all of the officers were white and Osaze was Black. The officers were returned to duty. Their names have not been publicly released.
Following the release of the district attorney’s report there was major public push-back about its conclusions. Several demonstrations were led by members of the 3/20 Coalition and Black Lives Matter. They included nearly a thousand protesters. The Borough Council held public hearings, during which residents raised several critical questions. Particularly troubling was the premise that race played no part in the action of the officers.
Full disclosure, Sylvester and Iyun Osagie are dear friends of ours. I went to Ghana with the them on a six-week Fulbright Study grant a few years ago. I knew Osaze. He was a gentle, God fearing young man. He was a devout Christian who was devoted to the study of the Bible. The crazed man described in the police and DA reports and the peaceful man I knew do not match. In fact, they are like night and day.
Last week the Osagies filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the borough and 10 police officers alleging excessive force, wrongful death, assault, battery, and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A spokesman for the family said it was an attempt to remedy “long-standing and deeply rooted police policies and practices that place those with mental illness in harm’s way.”
Another public response has been the creation of “The Osaze Project,” a devised virtual production produced by Penn State Centre Stage, directed and compiled by yours truly. It was co-created and co-written by local actors and activists: Wendell Franklin, Wil Hutton, Leslie Laing, Herb Newsome, Elaine Meder-Wilgus and Tierra Williams, together with PSU School of Theatre students: Jillian Aebil, Catherine Bennis, Catherine Crimmins, Joshua Gold, Nina Gold, Megan Irwin, Madaline King, Malcom Mackenzie, Natalie Maguire, Julia Salvato, Carly Sturm and Jenna Woods. The narrative and dialogue were devised from interviews with members of the community and research from the public record.
“The Osaze Project” explores the incidents that led up to the Osaze Osagie tragedy, the tragedy itself, and the ongoing community response. It attempts to tell the story from various points of view, the parents, the police, community officials, protesters and ordinary citizens. The live online production will premiere Friday, with a pre-show discussion at 7:30 p.m. and presentation at 8 p.m. The event is free and can be viewed at sites.psu.edu/pscsvirtual.