Breonna Taylor Case Fueling the Flames of Police Reform
Sequoia Randolph, teacher at SHS joined the Memphis protests with her son and mother! “My son’s black life matters… My family lives matter. My life matters. We wanted to be there just to say that”, said Randolph.
October 22, 2020
On March 13, Louisville, Kentucky police forced an entry into Breonna Taylor’s home where they then fatally shot the 26-year-old EMT. Since then, the killing has spurred national “Black Lives Matter” protests that have placed a greater focus on how ineffective police work has affected the black community. Taylor’s death led to the passing of “Breonna’s Law,” banning no-knock warrants, and the hiring of a new interim Louisville police chief.
Although Taylor is the face of the protests, she has not been the only victim of police brutality and social injustice. “This has been happening for some time, but it is now coming to light after all these years,” according to Shalonda Bryant, teacher at Highland Oaks Middle School. Taylor’s verdict did not begin the protests, but they merely added “fuel to the flame” said Tyler Stovall, 12th grader at Southwind High. BLM which started as a chant has grown into a movement after years of racial discrimination.

According to a study by the New York Times, between August of 2014 and August of 2015, Black Lives Matter chapters around the world had organized more than 950 protest demonstrations. Their call for social justice has ranged from targeting well-known police-involved deaths to less publicized offenses that eventually hit the mainstream media. However, their method of protesting has been deemed somewhat “questionable” in the eyes of law enforcement. There are people out there participating in peaceful protest and, on the other hand, there are people looking for “an excuse to riot and raid for reasons that have nothing to do with the Black Lives Matter Movement”, as reported by local police sergeant, Marcus Mosby when asked about the motive of protesting here in Memphis.
This movement and the coronavirus pandemic have arguably shared headlines over the course of 2020. Decisions regarding Taylor’s case are still being made. On Tuesday (10/20/20) a Kentucky judge ordered all grand jury records to be released to the public. Judge O’Connell’s intent was to bring some transparency to this case to show if “elected officials are being honest.” Even after Taylor’s incident led to the passing of a custom-made law for the state of Louisville, protests in other parts of the country have sparked “what about us” protests in different states. This law’s sole purpose is to ban no-knock warrants so that history will not repeat itself. Since then, the Tennessee Senate passed a bill banning no-knock warrants. In addition, Governor Bill Lee says that he will “look for options” regarding police reform.

I am in the 12th grade student leader in our school. I am active in many clubs and organizations including leading our school online newspaper, "The JagRoar...
Great read! Good work, Michai and JagRoar team!
Wow! I am so proud of the article you all published. It was very well written, organized and most importantly informative. You took a in issue that has been discussed all across this country and really let people know the history and where we stand today. Also, you found a way to localize the story in which people here in the Mid-South could relate and learn what’s happening in their community as well. We had a chance to hear from people in the community to get their understanding and perspective. I especially like that we heard from a teacher/parent, student, and member of law enforcement. That is important to really have a well-rounded story displaying different sides. Excellent article! Keep soaring and I can’t wait to see more.
Thank you for your kind words. WE appreciate it
This was very informative and well-written! Great job!
Great commentary Mr. Mosby. Brianna Taylor’s death has sparked much needed changes in police policies that otherwise would not have been considered. Thank you.
Well written! Great article
Michai! This was very informative. Well stated. Will be sharing.
This was very organized and informative. I love how you localized a national issue. It pushes readers to want to make
change happen on a local scale. Very inspiring!!!!
As a retired law enforcement lieutenant, I read this article from two perspectives, and I applaud you, Michai, for writing such an excellent article!
Thank you for writing a non-bias piece. This piece of writing lays out the facts. Well done.