It’s been 2 years since our young Queen was murdered in her sleep on March 13, 2020. And till this day NO ONE has been brought to justice for her murder. Let us continue to fight for her, and her family. Let us continue to SAY HER NAME. And let us pray the ancestors are watching over her as they watch over ALL our love ones.
Let’s just remember that her death isn’t a trend. It isn’t “hot tea” or drama. It was a traumatic event. It wasn’t a viral trend or headline. She is more than just a hashtag or a symbol. She was a living, breathing, person and the police had absolutely no right to murder her.
20th of March, 2022. It’s been 736 days since Breonna Taylor was killed by the LMPD & Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly & Miles Cosgrove haven’t faced charges or been arrested for her death.
one of breonna taylor’s murderers was charged with wanton endangerment for firing into her neighbors’ apartments. not for murderering a young woman in her home. but for property damage. no other charges were filed.
if you can, now would be a good time to donate to the Louisville bail fund. hundreds of protesters are currently marching with a long day ahead.
I will never know how difficult and and traumatic it is to feel fear for my life based solely on the color of my skin. I grapple with my part in a system that allows the police (and citizens) to kill black people disproportionately, and it’s important to understand better how to dismantle the structures that perpetuate it. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are senseless, tragic deaths that follow in a long, innumerable line of state-sanctioned brutality against black people.
There are two principles that guide me in learning about racial justice: the first is do your research, learn, contextualize–try and unpack why you think the way you do, and why you consume the work you do. Seek out something you don’t know about, it’s ok to be embarrassed for past ignorance. You are not entitled to comfort on this journey. It should be upsetting. Injustice is upsetting. The second principle is related, and it has to do with who gets to tell stories–gatekeepers hoard knowledge because they view success as zero-sum. Justice, equity, kindness: these things are not zero-sum. The success of someone who is different from me doesn’t mean I cannot achieve along my own path. Power is a helluva drug. Think critically about why dominant narratives are that way.
I think a lot of people are rightfully questioning themselves: What should I say? What can I do? How can I help? Keep asking yourself. Open your purse, give what you can. Have uncomfortable conversations with your relatives, simply acknowledging a problem doesn’t solve it! Activists have been doing the slow and steady work to raise awareness for decades. You are starting this journey on third base thanks to their blood, sweat, and tears.
A self-generated reading list or action item won’t add much to the dialogue, but if you learn or discover something you hadn’t known about before, then that’s a good start. Here are a few resources I found valuable:
Obviously there’s so much more out there. I wanted to provide a useful and top-line set of resources, but I’d encourage you to find trustworthy voices online and look at what they share (a recommended few: @ClintSmithIII,@nhannahjones,@BrentNYT,@jelani9, my queen @dstfelix).
We should remember that the past, like the present, was contingent; that events that seem inevitable could have gone a different way; that those who lived through them were, like us, unable to see how things would unfold. We should be aware of the past — we should understand the processes that produced our world — but it shouldn’t be a substitute for thinking. We are not them, and now is not then.
Today is the 76th anniversary of D-Day. My grandfather landed on Normandy Beach, and I am beyond certain he would be supporting the protestors today. The struggle for freedom against fascism continues, but we have reason to hope. Here’s to a better, more just tomorrow, it’s on us–let’s keep up the work and don’t forget to VOTE.
Organizations and funds to donate to; I understand not everyone can donate, but if you can, please give at least $5 you can skip your Starbucks coffee for a day!
In the middle of the night on March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was senselessly killed by police as she slept in her own home. Breonna was a daughter, friend, sister, and hero in her community.
Since her death, no one has been charged for her murder. The only semblance of justice that we have seen is the passing of the Breonna Law in Kentucky. But there is still much work to be done to ensure that other innocent people do not continue to lose their lives in the same manner.
Your name will forever be on our minds, in our hearts, and on our lips as we SAY YOUR NAME.
Breonna Taylor’s mother speaks out nearly one year after daughter’s death
Almost a year after Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her apartment by Louisville police officers, people across the country continue to honor her life. NBC News’ Blayne Alexander speaks with Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, about what that support means to her and her ongoing fight for justice.
Taking a side trip for a minute to acknowledge what’s happening in the US.. The way people of color are treated in this country is heinous. I feel ashamed of my demographic and the oppression we’ve created and continue to cultivate. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd are just the latest examples of the racism that is thriving in this country. They deserved better. We need to do better.
If you feel the same way, there are things you can do to help. You can donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund or George Floyd’s GoFundMe. If you can’t donate you can call Minnesota’s governor and attorney general, asking for justice for his death.
NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE (9/23/20): Breonna Taylor’s life mattered. There is no justice to be found under this neocolonial system. We must bring it to its knees.
I know I’ve been MIA for a very long time- and I apologize for that- but now is a good time to revive this account and put it to good use!!! if anyone would like to use this platform to speak about the black lives matter movement or racial injustice in general, don’t hesitate to ask!!
you can do your part in your community by signing petitions, donating, protesting, or simply educating yourself!
there is a time and place for everything- and the time for change is right now.
Be the match that sets the flame sis! Speak highly of yourself and know that you are deserving of so much more! Queen today and everyday! Queen for the sistas who can no longer Queen for themselves; Breonna Taylor, Ayanna Gray, Sandra Bland, Atatiana Jefferson, Aura Rosser, and many, many others!
BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! BREONNA TAYLOR! Fuck the police! SAY HER FUCKING NAME! BREONNATAYLOR was murdered in her OWN home while fucking sleeping! There’s NO justification for this!
I couldn’t care less about what those of ZERO melanin content are saying in my comment section. It will always be BLACK LIVES MATTER until my black life is valued just as much as my white counterparts. All lives cannot matter until BLACK LIVES MATTER. All lives can not matter until police officers and white men are held accountable for murdering unarmed black people and people of color! All lives can not matter until black people can walk into a hospital and receive the same adequate healthcare as white people. All lives can not matter when you’re shot in the street for trying to deesacalate your AUTISTIC patient. All lives can not matter when a black man can be jogging in his neighborhood but he somehow looks “suspicious” so two white men are allowed to get away with murder UNTIL video surfaced and sent social media into an uproar. All lives can not matter until the police officers that murdered Breonna Taylor are charged for murdering her in her own home on a no knock warrant for someone that they already had in custody. All lives can not matter until the police that murdered Elijah McClain and then JOKED about it on camera are charged for killing an unarmed black man because of a ski mask ALTHOUGH he had a health condition that caused him to always be cold. ALL LIVES CAN NOT MATTER UNTIL WE DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN OUR REASONINGS FOR WEARING HOODIES, SKI MASK, JOGGING, WORKING, SLEEPING, and PLAYING. ALL LIVES CAN NOT MATTER when you have a grown black man crying out for his deceased mother because he can not breath due to an ILLEGAL chokehold by a police officer who smugly looks into the camera with no remorse AFTER a store owner FALSELY accused him of using a counterfeit $20 bill. ALL LIVES CAN NOT MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER!
