Jesse Played
Jesse took time to nourish his body and his imagination. As a child, he cherished fun-filled summers in Florida by the lake with grandparents and cousins. As an adult, he attended and relished family gatherings that included food, teasing, Monopoly games, and his beloved sister, Najila. He looked forward to a yearly camping trip with long-time friends from Sidwell. And, along with other young artists in Brooklyn, he sampled the music, card parties, restaurants, dancing and the arts that New York City offered.
Jesse also loved basketball and a few short weeks before his death, he was excited that his Nike Recess basketball league team had made the final playoffs and would play its last game at Madison Square Garden. Late in the game his team was down by one point with three seconds on the clock. Jesse had the ball and made the shot, but he missed. But the miss and the loss did not dampen his mood. He remained excited that he made the last shot, in the last three seconds, at Madison Square Garden. Jesse always just wanted to be in the game. He just wanted to take the shot.
In addition to basketball, Jesse had recently begun to love distance running. He hoped to run marathons to raise money for his film.
Jesse is remembered by many friends and relatives as loving, generous, passionate and wonderful. They say that his short life was defined by excellence and decency and that he had a heart as big as his smile.
Jesse's Story | Jesse Work | Jesse Played
