It’s been one year since Breonna Taylor was murdered by police officers in her home in Kentucky. And yet, there’s been no justice.
Saturday, March 13th, marked a year since Taylor was killed in her home. Hundreds of protestors gathered in cities nationwide, including her hometown Louisville, New York, Washington, and Atlanta. These demonstrators gathered to remember and honor her name, and further demand justice— like people have been doing for the past year since her death. She became a key figure in the past year’s movement for racial justice, as she was killed in a narcotics raid by three officers who forced their way into her home with a no-knock warrant. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, had both been asleep in their apartment. Since that day, “Say Her Name” has been a worldwide cry for racial justice.
Walker, who’d been charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer after shooting one officer in the leg during the raid, had his charges fully dropped last week. He says, “That’s a good start. But we’ve got to keep going”. Kentucky has passed some legislation since, but it’s been slow. In June of 2020, Louisville Metro City Council passed “Breonna’s Law”, banning no-knock warrants. Later in September, Taylor’s family won a settlement of $12M from the city. They also introduced new measures to reform their police department, including the requirement of body cameras for search warrants, and a new police chief.
For most of the world, however, Breonna’s justice lies in the fate of the officers who murdered her with the firing of their weapons—none of whom have faced criminal charges since. Although Officers Hankison and Cosgrove had been fired by the police department, Mattingly is still employed. In September, a Kentucky grand jury only indicted Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment—because bullets went through Taylor’s wall into her neighbor’s apartment. This caused an uproar in Louisville and the rest of the nation, but the fight is still not over.
At Saturday’s Louisville rally, there was a meal distribution program throughout the park, and a pop-up mall featuring Black businesses—both sponsored by the Breonna Taylor foundation. Many speakers, community organizers, and even family members of other people who died at the hands of the police joined the demonstrators last weekend, who were led by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer.
Jefferson Square Park, the location of these demonstrations, will likely get a marker installed later this year to commemorate the 2020 racial justice protests that took place there. It will include the following message, “Built-in 1978, Jefferson Square Park memorializes first responders killed in the line of duty. In 2020, it became a rallying place for those demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman tragically killed by Louisville Metro Police serving a search warrant. Protesters called this space ‘Injustice Square Park’ and held demonstrations that drew global attention.” People are hoping this marker will serve as a reminder of work the city and nation have left to do in terms of racial justice.
Furthermore, a federal investigation looking into civil rights is underway. It’s going to be a full probe into Taylor’s killing, and the people are hoping this will finally end with justice— with the police officers held accountable and charged.
Breonna Taylor has become a legacy in America to remember that Black women do matter, and cannot be ignored in these times of justice and progression. Taylor’s case will serve as a precedent for all the other crimes Black women nationwide have to endure, and it’s essential that she gets justice, so the world is forced to recognize that black women matter too.