A Statement on the Shooting and Killing of Breonna Taylor
October 5, 2020
On September 23, 2020, we the public were informed that there would be no charges brought against the officers involved in the shooting and killing of Breonna Taylor. Instead, justice was brought for the walls of her neighbor in the charge of “wanton endangerment” against only one officer. The impact of that decision reflects a traumatic reality for Black Women. In the words of Malcolm X, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected woman in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” We hear the cries of Breonna Taylor’s family and community in Louisville, Kentucky, who’s thirst for justice is unquenched. We stand in full support of the protests against the grand jury’s decision, which does not honor this Black woman’s life. We also acknowledge the racial trauma that’s perpetuated in these recurring miscarriages of justice in the Black community.
Scarritt Bennett Center is not against police, but we are against police brutality and we are also against a justice system that consistently fails to justly serve BIPOC. We understand that our work through our Racial Justice Ministries is to center the Black experience and prioritize the healing needed from racial trauma.
One of our core values as a Center is the empowerment of women. We at Scarritt Bennett Center love Black women. We value and celebrate their being and beauty. We embrace the complexities and variety of how Black women show up in the world. We intentionally participate in the work of healing and wholeness through initiatives like our monthly Salama Circles dedicated specifically for Black women. We prioritize Black women. We believe Black women. We make room for Black women’s stories and experiences and we will not stop saying the name of Breonna Taylor and the many Black women who we as a country have failed. We are dedicated to the work of creating a world where Black women are respected, protected, and cared for.
We invite you to join us as co-conspirators in making this vision a reality.