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Calls for justice for Breonna Taylor
On what would have been her 27th birthday, calls for justice for Breonna Taylor are increasing.
NEW YORK - June 5 would have been the 27th birthday of Breonna Taylor, an EMT whose life was cut short when she was killed on March 13 by police who had broken into her house with a “no-knock warrant” in search of illegal drugs at Taylor’s home in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
None of the officers involved in Taylor’s death have been reprimanded, and with protests over the death of George Floyd still going on across the nation, more voices are demanding justice for Taylor.
“I was frustrated with the lack of coverage around her case and the fact that it was and not the first time that a black woman had died at the hands of police and seen the coverage around her story kind of wane,” said Cate Young, a film critic and culture writer. “I decided that I needed to do something to commemorate her life and bring her story back into the news cycle and to help people recognize that her story is not a second priority to the men who have died at the hands of police.”
To that end, Young created a website with a list of actions people could take to honor Taylor on her birthday.
Bernice King, New York Attorney General Letitita James, and Ariana Grande were among the many people using the hashtag #SayHerName to bring awareness to Taylor’s story.
Many are demanding justice for the award-winning EMT and accountability for the officers involved in her death. Young says she's hoping that she has inspired others to take action.
“I hope that there are no more next times but if there are I hope we can apply the same energy and resources to getting black women justice as we do for everyone else yet,” Young said.