Songs, t-shirts and tik toks and yet still no justice: How Breonna Taylor's death became a brand

On March 13, 2020, Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove illegally entered the home of Breonna Taylor, murdered her, and left. All three are still free men. 

Officers Hankison, Mattingly, and Cosgrove were in search of two men who were believed to be selling controlled substances. The suspects, Jamarcus Glover and Adrian Walker lived in a house 10 miles away from Taylor’s. Breonna had been in a previous relationship with Glover, and as a result, her home was included in the search. Hankison, Mattingly, and Cosgrove were acting on a “no-knock warrant” which allows officers to enter a home without a warning or stating who they are. 

After hearing the aggressive knocking but no identification, Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at the officers. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg but made a full recovery. Walker was subsequently charged with the attempted murder of a police officer, but the charge was eventually dropped in May. After the inciting incident between Walker and Mattingly, Cosgrove and Hankinson fired over 20 rounds and shot Taylor 8 times. Taylor received no medical attention for more than 20 minutes and was pronounced dead on the scene. No drugs were found in her home.

“Ms. Taylor’s family also said it was outrageous that the police felt it necessary to conduct the raid in the middle of the night. Their lawyers say the police had already located the main suspect in the investigation by the time they burst into the apartment. But they “then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life,” according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Ms. Taylor’s mother. - The New York Times

The police’s incident report contained multiple errors. It listed Ms. Taylor’s injuries as “none,” even though she had been shot at least eight times, and indicated that officers had not forced their way into the apartment — though they used a battering ram to break the door open.”-The New York Times

The City of Louisville banned no-knock warrants on June 11, this new ban is titled “Breonna’s Law”. 

“A tangled legal doctrine in Kentucky means a kind of self-defense stalemate that leaves a lot of questions over what charges a prosecutor could bring against the officers But it’s not that simple, partly because of a tangled legal doctrine that applies to Kentucky and 28 other states. There is no specific law in these jurisdictions addressing police shooting in self-defense, which means officers have the same rights and obligations as any resident. Yet police have the unique power to initiate violence–like knocking down the door of a private home in the middle of the night–that other people don’t.” - The Guardian

“So far only one officer, Brett Hankison, has been fired. The other two officers have been temporarily taken off the street. In a termination letter, the Louisville police chief, Robert Schroeder, said Hankison violated department policy on the use of deadly force and accused him of “wantonly and blindly” firing 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment without a clear line of sight. In a subsequent appeal, Hankison’s attorney David Leighty disputed these claims, calling the firing a “cowardly political act”. Leighty noted that the preliminary investigation has not even concluded which officers’ bullets went where yet. He declined to make any further comment to the Marshall Project. Lawyers for the other two officers did not reply to messages seeking comment.”- The Guardian

The nation erupted. “I hope I’m wrong,” Gonzalez said, “but when they announce no indictment this city is going to burn.”- The Guardian

Protests in Taylor’s name have been happening for about 13 weeks now, and none of the officers have been arrested or charged. Kenneth Walker was charged with the attempted murder of a police officer for shooting at people who didn't announce themselves and entered his home with a battering ram at 12 am. Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove murdered an innocent woman who was asleep in her own home and are still free.

Where do I even begin?

The attorney general of Kentucky, Daniel Cameron mentioned her name at the Republican national convention, saying: "We Republicans do recognize those who work in good faith towards peace, justice, and equality," he said. "In fact, it was General Dwight Eisenhower who said democracy is a system that recognizes the equality of humans before the law. Whether you are the family of Breonna Taylor or David Dorn, these are the ideals that will heal our nation's wounds."

In a written statement Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother wrote: “It was nice to see him using a national platform to remind those watching the Republican convention of my daughter's name, I hope the next time we see him he’s telling the country he's charging all officers responsible for my daughter’s death (or murder) and is committed to getting her overdue justice."

Taylor has a law named after her, her name has been trending for months and protests are entering their 13th week. It is incredibly obvious that America realizes that her death was wrong, and yet no legal action has been taken. 

The hashtag #sayhername trended on twitter for a few days, and plenty of memorial t-shirts were made. Murals of Taylor have been painted everywhere and her face is on all the merchandise you can think of. Rapper, Tobe Nwigwe created a song titles “I need you to” with these lyrics:

“I need you to

Arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor

All of y'all who think we need more evidence, you goofy

I said arrest the killers of Breoana Taylor

And Elijah McClain too

Y'all hoed that boy

Arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor

All of y'all who think we need more evidence, you goofy

I said arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor

You catch the vibe

Now get off my page”

In the music video, he does the woah after saying her name. I understand the message and I’m glad that he’s using his platform to spread awareness, but something about hitting the woah on this woman’s name doesn't sit right with me. His moves became a trend, and soon the majority of Tik Tok was doing the woah to Breonna Taylor’s name. There are so many catchy songs and cool beats to dance to, Breonna Taylor’s name isn't one of them. Her murder isn't a trend, a dance, or a cool slogan to put on a mug. Breonna Taylor’s name is closer to becoming a trademark than it is to receiving justice. 

I feel that it is incredibly important that we stop referring to Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove as “Breonna Taylor’s killers”. This allows Brett, Jonathan, and Myles to live in anonymity which is the last thing they deserve. Say her name, and say theirs too. 

It is of equal importance that we stop bringing up her relationships with others in order to show sympathy. Saying things like “she was someone’s girlfriend, sister, co-worker, etc.” doesn’t do what it’s intended to. Instead of sympathizing with the family, we’re equating her worth to her relationships and her place in other people’s life. So skip she was someone’s… she was SOMEONE and that’s enough. Breonna Taylor was SOMEONE. She had dreams and a bright future and she didn’t deserve to die.

 Breonna Taylor was 26 years old and she deserves so much more than merchandise and murals. She deserves more than a hashtag and a song. She deserves more than a law. She should be alive right now. She deserves justice. Breonna Taylor deserves justice. When we allow the Brett Hankinsons, Jonathan Mattingly's, and Myles Cosgroves of the world to walk free, we set ourselves up for more Breonna Taylor’s, and when that happens, Breona Taylor’s death will be in vain. Don’t allow Breonna Taylor’s death to be in vain.

“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.”- Tamika Palmer (Breonna Taylor’s mom)

As always,

Stay Funky, spunky, spicy, and hydrated

- Elliott☆