Her name was Breonna Taylor, and she was on her way to becoming a nurse, but on March 13, she was fatally shot by three police officers. The officers were looking for Jamarcus Glover, a drug dealer and Taylor’s former boyfriend, who used Taylor’s address as his own. Without knocking, they kicked down her door and entered, thinking it was an intruder, Taylor’s current boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, opened fire.

It was not supposed to happen like it did, but the execution of it all followed by the police’s history with violence against African Americans led the US towards a monumental fight against the racial injustice in the country. Following this tragic event, the Black Lives Matter Movement forced America to open its eyes to decades of discrimination and violence against African Americans. 

Senior Valiyah Henry, an avid social media speaker on African American’s rights and the Black Lives Matter Movement, explains, “Racism is something that we as a country have been fighting with for decades. The Black Lives Matter movement is simply pushing what should have happened the moment slavery was abolished. It is fighting for the rights of Americans and equal treatment for all, which is something that we should all stand for as a default.” When asked about the status of America, Henry answers that she does not believe America is going backwards, but rather the Black Lives Matter Movement is a turning point in American history. 

On September 23, the grand jury reached a decision that held none of the officers responsible for the death of Breonna Taylor. Only one officer is indicted on charges for endangering Taylor’s neighbors. Lonita Baker, the attorney representing the Taylor family, responds to the grand jury’s decision with, “Breonna Taylor was unarmed, an innocent person that night she should not have been fired upon, and she should not have been fired upon after she was already down.” Following this news, protests erupted in major cities as protesters found the decision to be disappointing and unjust. Thousands marched with posters showcasing the words, “Say Her Name” and “No Justice No Peace”. 

Although the protests remained rather peaceful, many protesters were arrested after throwing objects at police officers and damaging public property. In California, some protesters were injured after a vehicle drove into a group of people. Henry comments, “The lack of justification for Breonna Taylor is another example of why the Black Lives Matter protesters have been going to such an extreme extent. They will never listen if we do not show them we are serious.” She says it is unfortunate that Breonna Taylor serves as the breaking point for society but that it is necessary for the fight against racial inequality. 

It is uncertain how long it will take until justice is served, or how it will be delivered, but one thing is for certain, America will not remain silent until Breonna Taylor’s voice is heard.