Back in March, Breonna Taylor was killed by police in her Kentucky home.
Since then, Taylor’s name and story has become a rallying cry for police accountability and justice. Only one officer involved with the case has been fired. And the police investigation is still ongoing. The FBI office in Louisville is conducting its own investigation into the shooting.
Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke to Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, about the family’s fight for justice.
Breonna was everybody’s sister and daughter. As easily as this happened to Breonna, it could’ve been anybody else’s child. So the mayor calls again. People are getting real antsy, and he doesn’t want them to set the city on fire. They are tearing up the city, and he wants me to come and tell the people to stop. But I don’t do it. Because I know the people don’t want to hear from me. They want to hear from him. They aren’t looking for me. They want to talk to him. That’s his fight, not mine.
And people are asking me to come to the protests. I am advised to be careful with that because if these protests get out of hand, I’m not wanting to seem like I’m condoning that or something. But people want to see me. They want to say they’re sorry. They want to apologize for the police. They want to offer their condolences. They want to apologize for not listening. I can’t believe it. People are begging for forgiveness like, I’m sorry we weren’t listening. I just can’t believe it. I felt like with the whole pandemic, Breonna would be forgotten, and we would just get swept under the rug.
And how do I feel then? Like, my God, somebody heard me. Like I finally caught my breath. That’s how I feel. Like I finally caught my breath.
What’s the latest on the case that has since sparked protests and calls to action across the U.S.?
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