On March 13th, 2020, Louisville Metro Police officers broke into Breonna Taylor’s home in the middle of the night and murdered her. She was an EMT who worked at multiple hospitals as an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. The officers still have not been charged for her wrongful death. Today, June 5th, is Breonna Taylor’s birthday. She would have been 27. Breonna was important; her life mattered.
If you’re like us, you are looking for ways to honor her memory. Here are 27 things you can do on Breonna Taylor’s birthday to do just that.
- Sign the official petition calling for justice in Breonna Taylor’s case.
- Send an email to the Kentucky Attorney General, the Mayor, and the Governor letting them know where you stand.
- Send birthday cards in honor of Breonna to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer demanding they bring and support charges against the officers who killed Breonna. Find their addresses here.
- Use the hashtags #SayHerName and #BirthdayFor Breonna on social media to remind everyone that her life mattered. Create art in her honor, or use these graphics (remember to credit creators). Use this link to post to the hashtags on Twitter.
- Donate directly to Breonna’s family to help them through this tragic time.
- Send Breonna’s family a message and let them know you support them and are fighting for justice in her memory.
- Find a local memorial, vigil, protest, or other action and attend.
- Read up about other recent murders, including George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and David McAtee.
- Sign petitions calling for justice in these cases as well.
- Learn the statistics and get educated about police brutality in the United States.
- If you are white, work on unpacking your white privilege or understanding white fragility.
- Learn about intersectionality and how race and gender intersect in instances of violence against women of color.
- Call your local police department and ask if they currently employ evidence-based police de-escalation training and outfit all on-duty police officers with a body-worn camera and require that the body-worn camera be turned on immediately when officers respond to a police call. If they don’t, demand they do.
- Donate to a bail fund.
- Learn about what it would look like to defund the police, and sign a petition to do so in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Seattle.
- Support Black-led LGBTQ+ organizations.
- Buy some new reading material from a Black-owned bookstore.
- Stock up on beauty supplies from Black-owned beauty brands.
- Buy dinner from a Black-owned restaurant.
- Donate to The Loveland Foundation, whose fund provides therapy and mental health services for Black women.
- Join your local Showing Up For Racial Justice Group (SURJ).
- Sign up for an online anti-racism course (make sure to support Black creators!).
- Donate to a mutual aid fund in your area.
- Follow Black activists, educators, and visionaries on social media like Kimberlé Crenshaw, Rachel Cargle, and Sassy Latte.
- Watch a tv show or documentary about racist policing, like Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas and 13th.
- Talk to your family and friends about Breonna on her birthday. Be willing to have difficult conversations about racism and educate.
- Register to vote and commit to voting against racist policies and candidates.
Many of the resources on this list were originally compiled by Zosha Millman & Cate Young.
