Beyoncé is letting her voice be heard once again.
Less than a week after she celebrated Breonna Taylor’s birthday with a demand for justice, the 38-year-old icon penned a letter to Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron. She urged Cameron to use his power to bring criminal charges against the three offers who shot and killed Taylor in her Lousiville apartment on March 13.
The letter, which was shared on Beyoncé’s official website on Sunday (June 14), demands that the Attorney General “commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers’ criminal conduct.”
“Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Breonna Taylor, and demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life,” the Lemonade singer wrote in the letter. “Don’t let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy. With every death of a Black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: The death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it.”
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She continued, “This is your chance to end that pattern. Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers. The next months cannot look like the last three.”
Saturday (June 13) marked three months to the day of Taylor’s killing, where Lousiville police perform a “no-knock warrant” on her apartment. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, engaged in a gunfight with the police as they failed to identify themselves and he believed they were intruders. Taylor was shot eight times and died at the scene.
Beyoncé Slams Sexism Within The Music Industry While Addressing Class Of 2020
Beyoncé had used her platform in recent weeks to call for justice in the wake of numerous incidents where Black men and women were killed at the hands of police. During her commencement address to the Class of 2020 on June 7, she paid tribute to Taylor, Geroge Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery as well as the Black Lives Matter movement.
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“The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others have left us all broken. It has left the entire country searching for answers,” she said. “We’ve seen that our collective hearts, when put to positive action, could start the wheels of change.”
Hip Hop has not been silent during this crucial time in history. JAY-Z called MN Governor Walz to help get George Floyd’s case into the hands of Attorney General Keith Ellison, Russ raised over $150k for Black Lives Matter, The Weeknd donated $500k to various BLM causes, Drake donated $100k to National Bail Out, and Killer Mike provided a powerful speech addressing Atlanta amid city wide protests.
Kanye West donated $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. J. Cole and Kendrick were both spotted at local protests and Meek Mill dropped a song addressing police brutality.
These efforts are only a few highlights among the many people who are doing what they can to help spread messaging and advance the Black Lives Matter movement.
