On Wednesday 23rd September 2020, the Kentucky grand jury of the Breonna Taylor case refused to charge any of the officers who shot at her, with manslaughter or murder. Instead, they only pressed charges against an officer for endangering Breonna's white neighbors, as one of the bullets penetrated their wall. Outrage has been met with this decision. It's a reminder of just how much black women are disrespected in society.
Who Is Breonna Taylor?
Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old Emergency Medical Technician. In March, she was sleeping in her home before with what's called a no-knock warrant, she was shot eight times by the police officers who raided her home. They were on a drug raid for a suspect who didn't live at her address. Since this incident, there have been protests for the officers who killed her to be charged. Yet this was not delivered through the jury's decision.
History
Black women live the experience as one of the most marginalised people in society. As well as living with racist stereotypes, there is also the added pressure of being a female. Studies have shown that doctors tend to see black women as being able to endure pain more than their white counterparts. The fact that Breonna wasn't even safe whilst sleeping in her home, and the jury's decision, further highlights the extreme disrespect that black women face.
What Can We Do?
It's so important for us to uplift and protect black women and speak out against injustices against black women too. This includes even within the black community itself, such as the Tory Lanez and Meg Thee Stallion incident. We must cheer on black beauty for the royalty it truly is! It's a real fight we are facing and we need real support and care to battle through it.