YOKO
Age 3019 Sep 2023
New Orleans, Louisiana (USA)
Run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2023/19-Sep-2023/YOKO
YOKO died after their scooter was hit by an SUV. The driver failed to stop and was arrested the following day.
New Orleans based nonbinary artist YOKO was killed in a hit and run accident on September 19, 2023. They were 30 years old.
The non-binary artist was killed Tuesday by a hit-and-run driver in Gentilly. New Orleans police said it happened just before 6 p.m. at Franklin and Fillmore avenues. Police said the victim was driving a motor scooter on Franklin when an SUV turned and hit the scooter. The victim was ejected, and the driver of the SUV kept going.
Then the driver was arrested the next day charged with one count of hit and run driving resulting in death and for possession of a stolen vehicle. He was also arrested on multiple fugitive warrants.
YOKO, an acronym for You Only Know One, was a visual artist and DJ. Yoko worked as a tattoo artist at Slangin’ Dat Ink. Born and raised in New Orleans, YOKO used they/them pronouns. YOKO’s socials are filled with beautiful images of their own creation and others. Further, their creativity transcended genres.
They explain the meaning of their name on their website, too.
In the year of our lold, 2016, when my and a general populace of the rest of America’s life certainly started to change for the more stressful, I resonated heavily with the term You Only Know One, looking for a sweet acronym (YOKO) that I can dump my new reality into, that also makes sense to who I am as a person. You Only Know One shortly became a mantra reinforcing ideas of self preservation, self worth, and understanding of the only constant in my life: the state of your ever changing self. Freshly stuck in the throes of a world outside of my control, armed with a large black pickup truck, all of my plants, and all of my art supplies with a whole new form to fill the shoes of, and of course, very, very confused, I left behind a life of struggle and started pursuing my art career very, very seriously.
We are so fortunate that they embedded their story and aspirations on their website, to give us a glimpse into their identity and find some glimpse of hope from a horrific tragedy.
As well as my family, I am inspired by so many things, notably anime and cartoons, complimentary color pallets, nature, and horror all in one. Lately, I’ve been hyperfixated on monster girls and nonbinary folks, but one day I’ll do literally anything else as a subject.
YOKO's Instagram profile is https://www.instagram.com/youonlyknowone.exe.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/yoko-nonbinary-new-orleans-artist
https://www.hrc.org/news/in-our-hearts-remembering-yoko-artist-and-dj-killed-in-new-orleans
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2023/09/nonbinary-black-artist-yoko-killed-in-new-orleans/
