MABL's Statement to Breonna Taylor
- Communications Committee
- Sep 25, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 1
For Immediate Release
September 25, 2020
MABL STATEMENT TO BREONNA TAYLOR
Dear Breonna Taylor,
We have no words. We are tired – tired of talking about inequities in the criminal justice system and the devaluation of Black Lives. We feel your pain. In fact, we feel pain every day. We are all so profoundly sad when reflecting on the grand jury’s decision because we thought that with the killing of George Floyd and the other Black Lives lost to discriminatory policing we had reached a watershed moment. We felt that there was an awakening to the brutality and injustices experienced by Black people. Good people marched, protested, and vowed not again. Communities and community leaders took a knee and declared police brutality a public health crisis. Yet, here we are again; mourning your life and trying to make sense of what just happened. You were sleeping in your home when Kentucky police officers killed you. A grand jury returned a bill of no indictment. We are speechless.
Breonna, we vow to keep fighting for reforms. We will continue to demand accountability. Police involved shootings should be heard by juries, not grand juries. No special protections should be given to police officers. Black people should be afforded the same safety and security in their homes and communities as Caucasian people. Although we are tired, we remain steadfast and determined to make sure that the declaration “Black Lives Matter” is not simply virtue signaling but a reality. We will continue to march, protest, speak up and out until we root out systemic racism, effectuate reforms, and realize equality.
We know how deeply loved you were by your friends, family, and community. We know that you were a person with limitless talents, dreams, goals, and aspirations. We know this because you were a whole person – an important person. You wanted what every person wanted – love, opportunities, and safety. We will continue to tell your story and mourn your loss.
CLICK HERE for the pdf version of this statement.
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