Breonna Taylor Was Always Essential
A steady flood of pings and vibrations starts erupting on my phone, and soon I am looking at family photographs of Breonna Taylor. The first shows her sitting in the car, wearing a white dress, well-done hair, and evident confidence. “Wake Pray Slay” reads the back of her sweatshirt in another image. At Christmas time, she wears a sweater with a fiery hearth depicted on the chest, strewn with garland and tree lights along the sleeves as she stands among gifts at her feet. The lights are off, but as in most of the photographs, her smile is on.
Something awful has happened when you get these kinds of texts from Benjamin Crump. Wednesday was the second time inside a week that I had needed to make such a request. The former attorney for Trayvon Martin’s parents is now representing two newly bereaved families of young black folks who were shot and killed by white people in recent months. Last Thursday, he sent just one picture of Ahmaud Aubrey holding an NFL football. This time, I got six.
One, in particular, might stand out, especially if someone had no context for who Taylor was or what happened to her: the picture of her in uniform. Taylor is standing in front of the Louisville, Kentucky, city seal, holding a floral bouquet in her left arm while clutching an award. She has on a short-sleeve blue top and black pants with supplies, including scissors, still visible and ready for use. Taylor was an emergency medical technician — one of what Americans have rightfully come to know as “essential workers” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Taylor was likely a hero to many Americans before they ever knew that she was dead. Working two jobs as a first responder, she made her life’s work keeping people alive. She was the kind of person who Americans applaud and serenade in appreciation as they return home at night, recognizable both by their uniform and exhaustion. Certainly, though, all that gratitude can only do so much. It hasn’t slowed the disease; no one is asking for miracles. But no divine anointing will improve work conditions, conjure up needed equipment, or boost pay. Nor can calling people like Breonna Taylor heroes somehow keep them safe, whether or not they’re wearing that uniform.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/breonna-taylor-shooting-kentucky-999185/
