“We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality”
- Martin Luther King Jr
Dear Brother Botham…..
How do you honor a man that you’ve never met, but had such a impact on your life ? As a black man who is the same age as me, who lived across the street from me, i cried for you. On the night of September 6th 2018, i was on my way to get NBA 2k19 , passing by your home as you were in your apartment eating ice cream. As i was coming back home i saw police cars and ambulance and didn’t think much of it as that’s a natural occurance where we lived. I woke up the next morning to 30 missed calls from my mom because she had gotten word that i shooting had taken place and the news didn’t provide context, they just said the name of the apartment. I returned my mothers calls and gave her peace of mind to tell her that i was ok. Throughout that day i was able to grow to know who you were and what had taken place. The first emotion that hit me was anger, angry because another black man had lost his life to the hands of the police. The second was confusion, confusion as to how this could’ve happened. The third emotion was sadness, sadness for your life, sadness for your family, and i began to pray for your family as i got more and more context to what happened. We live in a world of uncertainty, especially as black men, we can have zero negatives to our name & still lose our lives to the police. I’m sorry for the media trying to assassinate your character, I’m sorry for the negligence of the Dallas Police. May your soul rest, and peace be onto your family.
Breonna
Dear Breonna….
You deserved so much better, the justice system failed you. Yet again another black life was senselessly taken by the hands of viscous police. We marched for you, we faught for you, and yet it still wasn’t enough.
Taylor
Ms.Taylor….
We did what we felt fit to do, taking to the streets, saying your name, signing petitions & having our voice heard, but still that wasn’t enough. I’m sorry… I pray for your family & your boyfriend. Grant peace to your soul & may we NEVER stop saying your name. RIP
-Tortellini
Say Their Names
Originally organized by Emily Clarke and Alicia Rico after the death of George Floyd. It includes a collection of photos of Black people who have been victims of senseless violence – from hate crimes, officer-involved shootings, bombings, assassinations and other violent tragedies. There were 53 pillars containing photos on each side. A bouquet of flowers rested under each photo. Images of 212 people were on display. The photos include the names and images of black people like Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Botham Jean, George Floyd, Atatiana Jefferson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Emmett Till, Malcolm X, Muhlaysia Booker and many others.
The Next Generation of Action…….
In the summer of 2020 the Next Generation Action Network had a demonstration to have their leader freed for wrongly being incarcerated. This event would be the beginning of what would be the longest summer ever. Here are the photos from the event…….
