What Happened to Breonna Taylor?

have just decided that enough is enough. And I think it is most incredible to see that people from outside of the country have taken up our issue. Uh. In Germany, people have been marching in Paris, people have been organized in and speaking out. And in fact, I saw a viral video of a woman who lives in Paris who was complaining, like, you know, why, why is all of this Black Lives Matter stuff happening? I don't care out that it's not my issues, not my family, That's not

something I believe in. She went viral. She's probably gonna lose her job. You're gonna lose your job. I love that you're gonna lose your job. She'll probably lose her job in the next few hours. UM. And so with everything that's happening, though, I think what is most painful is that the death, the murder, the assault upon black lives still has not stopped. UM. And I don't think any of us have it in our minds that just because there's a major movement, that the violence against black

bodies were just end. But we're still seeing images a very very gruesome, UM and traumatizing murder of black people. And so all the movement that's happening in the world, You've got COVID nineteen, you got so much going on, and yet still back bodies continue to drop, and America has the blood of our people on these streets. UM. You know, since we last talked when we were fighting for George Floyd and um, Brianna Taylor, ahmard are very and the list goes on and on of those who

went before them. UM. Now we have a new case, Raciard Brooks. Right before America's eyes, right on video. We saw that this man was killed. And I don't think that we are so naive or so confused that we don't understand the challenges that was happening in that moment. We know he was drinking. We saw that. We know that he fell asleep behind the wheel because he had

too much to drink. We know that once he got into a fight or once they were attempting to arrest him, that he started to fight the cops, and that he also the the taser um and ran away with it and he pointed the Taser Act. The policies. We know

all of that. But I think what's at the heart of the conversation and what many of us as activists and advocates might have been trying to say, is that the way in which we are handled from start to finish is different from how we see other communities being managed. And so we're gonna talk about that because, yeah, we know things he could have done things different is a

lot of things that could have happened differently. But he was being harassed from the very moment that the second officer arrived on the scene, and the way in which he was being treated wasn't a de escalation attempt, it wasn't a community relations attempt. It was an enforcement attempt.

And that's something that um, I think, you know, we have to discuss five people hanging across the nation, five print cases of people hanging in which in each situation, the media keeps trying to say suicide, that these people did harm to themselves. Any other community, if you found five white people, particularly young white men, hanging around this nation, people like you and me, mice would be in jail.

They would lock us up to see if the movement has something to do with the retaliation against white people. Then we see Nikia Crawford, a young woman eighteen years old, just graduated from high school, driving her grandmother somewhere, doing her regular, normal everyday activities, shot to death at a light in Akron, Ohio. We don't know for sure, but witnesses say that it was a white man in the vehicle that shot her. Many witnesses have said it. We

don't know. They can't say she shot herself. And of course they would love to say that it was black on black crime, but that's not what the witnesses is saying. And so that's, you know, yet another uh situation that we have to monitor. I know, I saw on Shaun King's um Instagram page that there's a fifty thousand dollar reward available for those who are able to help catch the murderer. Of Nikia Crawford, which is a sad situation. Like I said, she just graduated then Trump. I mean,

I keep saying this stuff is not isolated. It's very very much coordinated in terms of how they are choosing cities to go to and the dates that they are choosing to go to these places, both his campaign events and now he will accept the nomination um in in uh in Jacksonville, Florida. Now in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he's

going to be this weekend. And yes, granted, it was supposed to be tomorrow on June team that he would be having his major event, and they moved it because somebody got in touch with him and said, you are actually going to in that there's bloodshed. You know. Like I'm thinking about how we've been traveling for the last few weeks and the types of people that I hear on your phone are not, like, you know, regular activists like these they're not really they don't call themselves activists

at all. These as people we don't even see outside in the daytime, and they're calling you, like, hell, homeboy thinks he's going to Tulsa. I'm ready to give it all up, Like it can't happen. So you know, he moved the date because somebody said this is not gonna be good, and thank god they did. But it's still the mere fact that he's gone to talk understanding the history of Tulsa, knowing that Black Wall Street was there, and that town was bombed, and that was where our

people were thriving, not just surviving. It was a model for Black America of how to have a community that has wealth and is sustainable without having to beg the state for anything. Um. And it was bombed, literally bombed by being on June team. No, no, not on June team. That's nine years after the bombing. UM. June two teenth

is a different day. This is the day when many a right, when many black black Nufricians, when many Africans um, we're told that we were free from slavery, from enslavement, and we know many did not find out, so there were many people who remained in slave because they didn't know. But that is the official day when black people were

supposed to know that we were freed from slavery. And so even though Tulsa, the Tulsa bombings didn't happen on that day, the mere fact that you would go to Tulsa understanding what you represent as an American president as

a white man who's it can't happen. So that's that on that Jacksonville UM is another place that they're going to August or they're gonna be in Jacksonville and they're going to Jacksonville for the Republican National Convention where he's going to accept the nomination um as their candidate for president. And like yo In in that town the same exact time there was the the the anniversary of the ax Handle.

I think it's the act yet as Handle exactly. That was another time when white people, including law enforcement, murdered black folks and they are actual uh events that happened every August where they are literally commemorating that day and remembering the those people who were lost. So this we're talking about not isolated incidents. How the hell do they choose both of those times in one period. It's not isolated,

it's I think it's very strategic. I think you know, if you look at just the Tousa situation in itself was crazy. Man. Just when we first heard that he was going there on June TV, right, I got a lot of colds and people like, I'm ready to give it up. You I'm going there, but everybody I knew called me and you know, and we are already heading the d C to do an action, and we was considering, you know, to even change our route to go out

there on that day. So it was strategic. I guess he figured he wants to speak to his African Americans, as he said, you know, and and try to pander and try to make it seem like he understands our struggle, you know, and you know it's it's it's Trump is very very um, very strategic, and he and he plays with marketing. That's his whole thing is about how is he gonna market him? You know, when you look at the next place, when we look at where else where

is he going again? You said Ville, Jacksonville, Florida, And we look about the tracity that happened then in Jacksonville, and then you look at him wanted to speak. So these are these are times where he's trying to utilize the heart strings of black people and then he's gonna try to speak and pander two black people. In his mind, you know, he doesn't realize that people are already fed up you know, you can't talk to people when they're dealing with pain and you're the one who inflicted it.

So he has a strategy. So it's it's a two promped strategy. He either roused up his space letting them know that he's gonna go there and speak on those days and they're like and they see it as a form of disrespect. Or he either gets some of us, you know, who are not as conscious understandably like, well, you know, he wants to celebrate with us, you know, the president. He's the president. You know, we need to

you know, acknowledge this. So this is this is what he does, and he does it very strategically all times. Just like you look at this press conference with this so called you know, executive order that really did nothing, you know, just pretty much. In my opinion, a lot

of people agree. Some people say, you know, it's it's a movement in the right direction, but there's no mandate in this executive Order's only suggestions that most local leaders do not have to follow, and most of them won't follow because they didn't even want those in put into law in the first place, you know, And most of them have had that same they've had the ability to do everything that they put into these this executive orders.

So you know, he tries to utilize that time and make it seems like, you know, we're dealing with prisonal fall. Let me do something that speaks to that, because I'm trying to get reelected. So we're very aware of what this president is doing that like you said, he's our co organizing man, Like whenever he does something, it's a reason for us to organize again. So you know, it's just said, it's actually just really said. Really say, yeah,

it's a sad state of affairs. And I think, like, yes, I try to come up with what's my thought of the day, because I have so many thoughts of the day, of thoughts of the minute, thoughts of the hour. I wonder have we really truly entered the race war that we've been talking about? And I have to ask that as a with the second question, are we ready? Like are we really truly ready for what we're being faced with? Because so many of our own people are just not

away there, like they're just living their lives. And a lot of that is you know, it's the media. It's also a survival mechanism where people are like you know, I don't even want to know. I don't want to know. I don't wanna I don't want to have to face. Yeah, I don't want to have to face the constant brutality and trauma and and and all that goes along with them.

But at the same time, I can't ignore it. We better be prepared because something really, really, really heavy is happening, especially when they're starting to find people hanging, people getting shot. Let me tell you one thing I was thinking to myself this is day. I'm like, yo, they know for sure that if they come outside to these rallies and protests and other things where Pooky and them are like

on guard, they know they cannot win. They cannot win because our people, we've been killed so much, we've been brutalized so much. We don't really have anything else to lose. So if you're time and you decided to show up where we are and you want to facesion, not a good thing. It's not you know what I want to say, You know what I want to say to cut you off. I don't think at this moment, you know, I think

people are trying to create a race war. But I think at this moment most people, just people in general, are realizing the pain, you know, the trauma, the effects of white supremacy, even white people. You know. I think everywhere you look in this world, people are screaming white Black lives matter. They are, they are acknowledging. I think we we, we are, We are winning a lot of allies, you know, and cocon spirits, as you say, I think

so they're trying to create. I think what Trump is trying to do is create, recreate the divide, because that's been his whole strategy with his you know, his own presidency was us to create this divide and and make it seem like it's us against them, you know, just throwing out the dog whistles and in saying things too

to rival up his base. And you hear you know, a lot of his the white supremacist like what, we're just waiting for Trump to give us the word, and we all you have to do is give us the world. So I think that's what he's trying to do. But I think this moment, you know, George Floyd's situation, coupled with so many of them, are recovered with so many different things. Brianna Taylor just looking at where we are

in this moment. I think it has. It has changed the perspective of the world, you understand I'm saying, And I don't think they I don't think the world really wants to raceful. I think that because everywhere you go, they're screaming black lives matter, Whites green everywhere. The people that never before had any concern people before that, we was like, why they don't speak up on our ha they't saying that. Everybody is vocal about what's going on.

Everybody is screaming black lives matter. And of course it's because of fat also because it's the cool thing to do, but it's also a lot of people that you know, are genuine, like damn, I just didn't even know what this is going on. Like I never visualized. I never actually was able to see this. So I think we're at a unique time where, you know, to me, I'm not so concerned about the race war, where I'm concerned with the good against bad. I think it's it's just

good people against bad people at this time. You know what I'm I'm looking at it. You know, it's I don't think. I don't think because I don't think of most white people agree with what's going on. I think that I don't think most white Sorry I cut you off, but I don't think most white people agree. I mean most white people supported, but I don't think most white people. Again, that's important. Words you said most white people, I don't think they are willing to fight against it, and therefore,

at some point they have to choose a side. And guess what in this particular moment, as you've been saying, those that are responsible for deconstructing the institutional and systemic racism that their own ancestors created, our white folks. And there's some that are in the movement, but there's also some that's in the movement that's problematic as fun like period.

They are supposed to be liberal, they're supposed to be progressive, and yet they create more tension and dissension among movements because they because they still operate off or operate through

a white supremacist lens. And what I mean by that is when you are in these women's organizations where black women and women of color feel oppressed even while we're supposed to be working together for liberation, and you are here telling everybody, oh, I believe black lives matter I'm a white woman that supports the movement, and yet and still people who work with are being traumatized by your behavior.

And as we moved to our next topic, when we come to you and say, what are you gonna do about a Ta Tiana Jefferson, Shakeisha Clemens, Brianna Taylor, You're not really where the where are where are the white women's organizations right now? I'm talking about with mass movements. I'm not talking about tweet or you posted something. I'm talking about mass movements for Brianna Taylor. Where are they? Well,

that's what I think. Well, I think we're at a unique time where we need to sell quote these people. I think you know, I think you have a presence, a voice, you know. I think that you have been tasked with the ability, skill level in the reach to make sure that people understand that. And I want to

know that too, Like, where are there? We're all these organizations that's supposed to be about women's rights, that why aren't there you know, major mass mobilizations and major movements behind Briana Taylor with the exception of what it is that you know, we as you know, combined with other organizations in in her Town. Black Lives Matter, O. The organizations are putting together an organizer, but where are they? You know, they pertain to be about women's right. So

it's definitely right. I mean, it's an issue. It's an issue, and you know we have to ask. I mean, people raise so much hell about every move we made within the Women's March, and they said, you know, we were the problem. Whatever we I'm not even gonna waste air coming out of my body to repeat the lies and the bullshit that they tried to mount against us with the Women's March. But now we're not there, right, We're

not there Women's women quite. I mean, obviously they send fundraising emails all the time and and I didn't even know. I thought I didn't even know. No, it's still very much. There's a board there, people there, We left people in charge. We we set up the board. We invited many of the folks who are there in the organization now. Um,

and I'm sure they probably sent out an email. But again again, and my my thing is not even at which of course I know from when I was one of the you know, strongest black women voices within the organization. From a national perspective, we forced people to deal with Shakisha clements, and it still wasn't enough. It still wasn't enough, because you know, what you have to ask is like, where is the Louisville Women's March chapter or one that's

in Kentucky. Where are all the neighboring cities. Where's the folks in Indianapolis? Where are the people who um from a women's march perspective? Where are they in terms of coming together to fight for Brianna Taylor. Now what they will say is, oh, well, you know it's COVID nineteen and whatever. Okay, fine, people want to use that, and and and and and I'm not saying that you shouldn't protect yourself. So we can't tell anybody that they're wrong

for not hitting the streets. But I'm almost certain, I'm almost certain that if this in this moment, it was something Trump focused. Boom, That's all you need, because I've seen them. I've seen them on the streets. I've seen them on the streets since COVID, and and I'm not saying they were organized by the National Women's March. I'm just saying i've seen people with their pink hats on and all of that around other issues, but not for

specifically a black Harman. And so when we talk about we're in a race boar, I think the way we end this that I would end it, of course, you know you maybe you won't end it there, but is that we've been in a race war and that now what's happening is that the actual uh physical remnants of it is beginning to show up on the street. And by the way, the murder has been happening, but now it's not just the murder, it's also the response of

some people from our communities. Yeah, you know, when we talk about Briana Taylor, like the I want to first of all come in with um you guys did with the campaign? Do you know what happened to Brianna Taylor?

Like that was a really big campaign. Man. It touched me just hearing her mother's story just you know, I was dead when she said we're just here on on that that big you know, and just seeing all of those um artists and actresses and you know, people of stature in our communities and our culture just speaking on behalf man Like, I just want to say, it was dope, man, but we got it. There still has been nothing. You haven't got any level of justice. And it's it's crazy

how disregarded and disrespected the black woman is. This woman was shot you know home and nobody's even lost the job or anything like shot eight times through home like that has to be some level of you know, mound mound practice is so you know, it's negligence that at least, if nothing else there was negligence, you know, there's at least it's it's something for you to say, you know, you are not capable to continue to do this job because your actions led to the depth of an innocent person.

Your lack of understanding, your lack of professionalism. There was a lot of things lacking there, you know. And if we can't hold the police accountable to make sure that innocent people just don't die, you know, we can't charge with a pause but you and then you still get to keep your job, but it has something else. Yeah, No,

Brianna Taylor's situation is pretty rough. And what we did see happen last week, which we know administrative duty is no longer enough, like we it was never enough, but we've just said to hell with that, don't even bring up administrative leave anymore. Um, And so what we did see happen is that the the ludge the ludge. So what we did see happen is that the officer who wrote the no knock warrant and you know, went to the judge to get him the judge to sign off

on a no knock warrant, he lied. He said that that that the postal service had reported suspicious packages going to Brianna Taylor's home. And the Postal Service came out and said they never ever reported that, and in fact, they never witnessed or even assumed or felt that there were um suspicious packages going to the home. So this

criminal activity, that's criminal activity. He lied to get the no knock warrant And so lies your lives led to someone losing their life and still and you still get paid. But by taxpayers were killing one of them exact pro. It's just it's just all crazy. They put they put him on death duty. And then last week they also

passed Drianna's Law after that video came out. And and let's just be sure, be sure to state that the video done by many celebrities, Tracy Ellis, Ross Cardi, b Alicia Keys who was my Alicia Keys, and Rhapsody were my co organizers to get that campaign together. UM Lend Degenerous, I saw Iman did a video, Jada Pinkett, em c l um, who else, Zoe Kravitz, Uh, I mean, I don't even want to get in La La Anthony Kelly Rowland.

So many women of influence came together for that campaign, even Cat Trigg, who is our director and producer of this UM of our podcast Free Politicians, UM and and uh and also Dandy Smith Harris. I mean again, I'm gonna stop because I don't want to get in trout. Yeah, I said Cardio eleven million views on her video where we asked do you know what happened to Brianna Taylor and provided the information and Um, the interesting thing, I've

gotta shout out humility Davis. But and the interesting thing about it is that people want to be like, Oh, the influences made this campaign made the Brianna's Taylor law get pat because the next day and one of the action items that I laid out in the video was that for the next day, UM, that people needed to call city council members, especially folks from the local Louisville community, to tell the city Council to make sure they passed

the Brianna's Law, which banns no knock quaarrants the next day, So the b um the campaign went out on Wednesday, and Thursday was the city council vote, in which at the time um that they they did actually pass Brianna Taylor's Law. That's great, Do I think Do I think that the video and the campaign that we released had something to do with it? Absolutely, But it's important to

note that that's not the indoor be all. There were people on the ground from BLM Louisville, like you said earlier, um A c l U and others, and of course their attorneys uh Lonita Baker and Ben Crump who had been working Dilan lead, and the family advocating for themselves, Jania her sister. So I'm saying all of that to say that this movement is not about any one entity. It's not about celebrity faces that are not also aligned

with activists and community organizers. We need every single person, every single body, the lawyers, the young people, the elderly, the wisdom, we need all of that working together to get justice not just for Brianna Taylor, but for Brianna

Taylors of the past and those to come. That's right, you know, So we and we're doing an action that's right on next Thursday, Thursday, the twenty six Thursday of June um which that week, next week marks and this might be in the week, right y'all when it get rid, when his release Janice and Cat Yes, okay, So this week marks a hundred days since Brianna Taylor was murdered, a hundred days and so on Thursday, we're going to be joined by a lot of important people, community people,

everybody who could think of, but led most of all by Brianna Taylor's family in Frankfort, Kentucky, to demand that the state's attorney filed charges against the liars, the abuses, the shooters, every single officer who is responsible for the murder of Brianna tim That's right. So yeah, we'll be doing that on Thursday. You know. It's it's just it's

just crazy, man. When you look at Brianna Taylor and you look how you know we were, we were just it's this the last few weeks have been so crazy, Like we went from it started with Brianna Taylor, you know, it started with us going out for Brianna Taylor, and then we went ended up at George Floyd at protests.

You know. Then we're in Atlanta, you know, doing some work there, you know what for our organization, and then Rachard Brooks happens, you know what I'm saying, Like, and we see that and you know it's Rashard Brooks situation broke my heart just watching the the video, you know, watching his video him talking about how he wanted to do better and how probation was holding him back. You know, and then you look at the situation and you look

at that whole video. You look at this thirty forty minute and I would listening to um Keisha Lance by the Maya Kesha Lance body was talking and said, how this ship't happened? You look like how that forty minutes like anything could have happened. You could have took this man home. He was polite, he was respectful, He he understood, he you know, he wasn't the best. He offered to walk home, you know, and understand, and just look at

being formally incarcerated, understanding that seriousness of that. He just

wanted to get home to his daughter. You know, he did everything right and when you when he looked and you heard that video and you heard him speaking about being on probation and how they hold things over your head and as nobody did a mentor you and nobody did to walk with you, and yeah, you make mistakes and little mistakes and you know, and they just wait for you to make that mistake and it's like they holding all of that and him just coming home from

prison and just wanted to do the right thing. And then after he realized that he had said everything he possibly could, like, you know, could you just let me walk home? And then note that this man was gonna put cups on him and he was gonna have to

return to that cell away from his family. Was a level of trauma that nobody understands unless you actually been through that, unless you actually have some seeing somebody knowing that they wanted to do the best they can and know on once he put those cups on him, somebody was gonna violate his probation and he was gonna spend time away from his family again. And people don't unders staying there. They'd like, yo, he should have just why

did he resist? He understood the seriousness and that officer didn't. Officer didn't care. He probably didn't know. He probably ran this idea seeing that he was all probation and decided that he was more comfortable with taking that man's freedom. And you know, and and and and understanding that moment like that really touched me. I was in my bed last night watching his video of what he said, and I was like, wow, man, he wanted to do better, just even when you heard it. And when he was

talking to the officer, he wasn't a wise ass. He was He was like you always. I had a few drinks, you know, but I'm I'm understanding, you know, yeah, I know I didn't wrong, understand, but you know, I walk home. I just want to get home to my daughter's a birthday.

Like when you understand that, And that's where the the humanization comes from for me, because I know if it had been another white individual, I know, if it had been even if it would have been a black individual, you would have been able to identify with that person. You know, And when they don't see us as human, they don't mind destroying your home, they don't do mind destroying your lives, because they don't mind destroying your reality. And just saying, well you should have been doing. We're

just gonna send you back. You know that nobody gives you a break. Nobody cares about that. And that man at that moment, when that man was putting that comes from his hand, he was just like, I'm not going back to jail, you know, I'm just I'm just not going. But he shouldn't have died. He wasn't supposed to die for that man that moment, that situation is not told for that man to lose his life. Man. And every time I think about it, it hurt man. And I'm

glad that the officers got charged, you know. And now you know that brings me to my word of the day. I mean, I don't get it. No, you gotta do that again so they can properly. That brings me to you know, okay, I'm glad that the officers got charged man, you know, and that brings me to my I don't get it. You know, officers got charged for murder. You know, everybody clearly seeing what he did to that man. And

man was running the raid. And then you have I heard that the office as in Atlanta were refusing to work yesterday. And I want to know this. What I don't get is how are you comfortable we're watching someone take a life? Right? I've never seen none of the police see some uh you know, individuals in the street, a regular citizens get killed or somebody not get charged for a crime and get away and they decided they

failed their jobs. But you were were willing to quit the job or or not fulfill the oath that you signed up for because someone was held accountable for killing the man, because someone was held accountable? What what? What is your job? What did you sign up for? If the if these individuals signed up to get away with impunity to kill black people, then they should never be

police solds. So I don't get the monster the same way with the young man the officer in flow who was thrown to the through the old men to the ground and they would charge the officers said that they were striking, and they came up and they you know, applauded. What what what? What is the mind state of the individual that is okay with that? You know? And that's what we have to I don't get that. I don't get how you saw somebody shoot him in the back

and you didn't think something was wrong with that. I don't care how. I don't get how you sure your officers throw him in to the ground and his head bleeding and nobody picked him up and didn't think that they should be charged with that. You know, I just don't get it. Yeah, I get it. It's a culture and I think we're in the process of trying to uproot it now. So this has been a good conversation. You know, Street politicians. Second season, we're back. Um, don't

get it twisted. We still don't agree on a lot of things, but in this moment what we're working on, and uh, the state of emergency that we're in. If you don't agree with us with this, then you're probably not somebody that we even exactly this And this ain't the black people, you don't code. This ain't the time

to be at ours. You got your enemy is your best friend right now, So you know, lock arms and right now, we we're in the we're in the midst of changing the culture of of the world, you know, and we don't We don't have a time to be at arts. So well, me and Hall argue another time. Right now, we got work to do, man. So you may not always agree. I might not always be right, and she might not always be wrong, but most of the time she is now, but we are always want

to be or young. That's how we own that