Oprah purchases 26 billboards demanding justice for Breonna Taylor
Each billboard represents a year that she was alive.
Oprah Winfrey purchased 26 billboards around Louisville, Kentucky to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black EMT who was fatally shot by Louisville police officers. Each billboard represents a year of life that Taylor was alive.
Each advertisement features a cover image of Taylor with a call to action that reads, “Demand that the police involved in killing Breonna Taylor be arrested and charged. Visit UntilFreedom.com.” There is also a quote from Winfrey that reads, “If you turn a blind eye to racism, you become an accomplice to it.”
Last week, Winfrey announced that Taylor would be featured on the cover of the September issue of O Magazine, marking the first time that the cover was given to anyone other than Winfrey herself.
Back in March, Taylor was shot and killed after cops entered her home under a “no-knock” warrant. She was in bed with her boyfriend when the officers powered through her door. Her boyfriend fired a warning shot — after believing that the officers were intruders. They returned fire and Taylor was shot multiple times. She died shortly after.
Since the shooting, protests have erupted throughout Kentucky and the country. None of the officers who were involved in the shooting have been charged or arrested for her death.
“From the beginning, our office has set out to do its job, to fully investigate the events surrounding the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said last month to protesters.
“We continue with a thorough and fair investigation, and today’s events will not alter our pursuit of the truth,” Cameron continued. “The stated goal of today’s protest at my home was to ‘escalate.’ That is not acceptable and only serves to further division and tension within our community. Justice is not achieved by trespassing on private property and it’s not achieved through escalation. It’s achieved by examining the facts in an impartial and unbiased manner. That is exactly what we are doing and will continue to do in this investigation.”
All of the billboards will be erected by Monday (Aug. 10). Check out a photo of one of the billboards below.