Today, March 13, 2025, marks five years since Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, was killed after former police officers from Louisville Metro Police Department forced entry into her home and shot her while she was sleeping. Since then, Brett Hankison was found guilty of depriving Taylor of her civil rights by a federal jury for using excessive force. He was scheduled for sentencing this week.
In remembrance of Taylor, EBONY revisits our 2022 emotional conversation with Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother and EBONY’s 2022 Power 100 Social Justice Award honoree, who has fought tirelessly for her daughter’s rights and remembrance, setting a precedent rarely seen in situations of violence invoked by state law enforcement.
EBONY: What brings you solace as you work to continuously uphold your child’s legacy?
Tamika Palmer: That’s simple. I’ll have to say the indictments and the pure fact that the people who wronged Breonna will have to answer to that. That brings me solace.
As a mother, how do you want the world to remember Breonna? How can people honor her legacy daily?
We want people to remember Breonna as we, her family, remember her. Breonna was a fun, loving and caring person who would give her shirt off her back to help anyone in need. She was a person who could bring people together no matter the situation and we all got to witness that as she brought the world together to stand for her. To honor her daily is to stay the course as we are still not done fighting for justice. We have indictments right now, not convictions just yet, so we have to continuously say her name and stand for her because she can’t.
Since this unfortunate tragedy, the Black community has tapped into its fortitude by rallying behind efforts to bring about justice for Breonna. How have you found strength from the Black community and community during this time?
The Black community stood in the gap for me on days I didn’t think possible. The wonderful thing is that it was not just the Black community who did this but the global community at-large. For that, I am forever grateful. They gave me days to rest and get my mental health together. This was so vital as it this allowed me to regain my strength so that I may stand and fight for others in the same or a worse situation than me and my family. This was done all while also sharing and teaching me ways to do it
How do you Move Black Forward?
I move Black forward by continuing to hold people, including law enforcement, accountable for treating our lives as if we are not equal or important. I move Black forward by not erasing our history simply because others don’t want it to fit into the structure for a brighter future.
The Breonna Taylor Foundation and Until Freedom continue to prioritize racial justice and uplifting the legacy of those our community have lost too soon.
Read the full article, which also features Ahmaud Arbery‘s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, speaking about her son’s legacy.
