REMEMBERING BREONNA TAYLOR
By Sarah Hurley
Racism is a major problem rooted in the United States. Many people are treated as inferior because of the color of their skin. Over the past few months, many people have taken initiative and stood up to fight against the racism many African Americans face every day.
Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old African American woman. She was a certified Emergency Room Technician (ERT) and even aspired to become a nurse.
On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was wrongfully killed by officers of the Louisville Police Department. These officers carried out an illegal drug raid on her home. They forced themselves into Taylor’s apartment, unannounced, and killed her.
The Police officers arrived at Taylor’s apartment, without their uniforms, and used a battering ram to break down the front door. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thought someone was breaking in, so he grabbed his licensed gun and fired a warning shot at the officers. The officers then blindly returned fire, which led to Breonna’s death.
“Justice for Breonna Taylor” is a phrase that has been heard throughout the entire world. People have mentioned her name at protests to fight against police brutality.
Police brutality is a revolting thing. People should not be targeted for the color of their skin. The Black Lives Matter movement is an organization whose mission is to end this white supremacy and stop the violence inflicted on the Black community. They are working towards a world where Black lives are no longer targeted and killed because of their appearance.
Zora Deseignora, a sophomore at Widener, shared her thoughts about the university’s response to racism and inequality.
“With everything happening in the world, I appreciate that the topic of racism and inequality has become a conversation at the university.” Deseignora said. “I am pleased that there have been settings and opportunities for students and staff to discuss racism and inequality not only in the classroom, but also I’ve seen organizations talk about this and I’ve seen emails from the MSA office about hosting discussions to speak on the BLM movement and racism. We just need to keep the conversations going and grow from there.”
Please take the time to education yourself about the Black Lives Matter movement and the prejudice African Americans face. Also take the time to learn how you can become anti-racist and stand with the Black community. Widener’s CAPS has published an entry titled “Racism, Discrimination, and COVID-19.” Please take the time to read this and look at the resources provided on the last page. Each source can help you learn about the impact of racism and how you can become anti-racist.
One of these resources, titled “Guide to Allyship” was written by Amelie Lamont. Here, she explains why allies are necessary, stating that “allies recognize that though they’re not a member of the underinvested and oppressed communities they support, they make a concerted effort to better understand the struggle, every single day. Because an ally might have more privilege and recognizes said privilege, they are powerful voices alongside oppressed ones.”
Read this guide and continue to educate yourself. We need to rise up and continue this fight against racism and discrimination. Please use your voice to stand up for what’s right!