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A WGVU initiative in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation using on-air programs and community events to explore issues of inclusion and equity.

Breonna Taylor's family continues their push for justice, one year after her killing

Breonna Taylor's family marches one year after her death
Kylie Ambu
/
WGVU

It's been one year since Breonna Taylor was shot and killed inside her home by Louisville Police during a botched narcotics raid, and her family and supporters say they won't stop fighting until justice is served. More than 100 people gathered in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday afternoon to march in solidarity across Breonna Taylor Way, a street named after the Grand Rapids native.

The mile-long march was led by Taylor's family and representatives from Family Over Everything. Family members could be heard chanting cries for justice, saying "She couldn't sleep," with the crowd chanting back "You can't either," a reminder that Taylor was shot and killed in her bed.

While the day marked the one-year anniversary of Taylor's death, her cousin, Tawanna Gordon, said time hasn't begun to heal the wounds of the family's loss.

“It’s overwhelming because we still haven’t arrived at the place that we’re ready to accept that she’s gone,” Gordon said.

Officers forced their way into Taylor's apartment in the early morning hours of March 13, 2020 during a narcotics raid. Taylor was not the target of the raid, and the suspect police were searching for was not at her home. 

As of today, none of the officers who fired their service weapons — a total of 32 rounds — face criminal charges directly over Taylor's killing. At least three officers with connections to the raid have been terminated from the force.

Gordon said the purpose of the march was to ensure no one will forget about Taylor. Marchers, many of which drove more than an hour to stand in solidarity, were called on to "Say her name," to which they replied in unison, "Breonna Taylor." 

"It lets us know that this country is not that far gone. There are people who still care. There are people who do not identify human race as ethnicity or a particular color, and that's inspiring," Gordon said.

Gordon and her family have been outspoken about reform they would like to see surrounding police and legislative action, specifically targeting no-knock warrants. However, she explains their stance isn't to "hate police."

"We don’t hate police. We know that they’re needed. We know that our community needs them. We just want to make sure that the police officers that they’re hiring are there to serve the community," Gordon said.

As the year anniversary surrounding Taylor's death comes to a close, her family and supporters vow to continue pushing for "justice" and "change."

"The only way to stop the oppression is to stop fighting each other, to unite on one accord and to apply pressure until they break and give us what we want," Gordon said.

Brakkton Booker is a National Desk reporter based in Washington, DC.
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