Oprah historically gives up cover to honour Breonna Taylor

It has been 139 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered by plainclothes police officers Jon Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison in her Kentucky home on March 13. Yet the increasing calls for justice in her death continue to go unanswered. Oprah Winfrey is not okay with that.In a historic move Oprah gave up the September cover of O magazine for the very first time since its launch in April 2000 in order to pay tribute to Taylor and raise more awareness in her family’s ongoing fight for justice. “Breonna Taylor. She was just like you. And like everyone who dies unexpectedly, she had plans. Plans for a future filled with responsibility and work and friends and laughter,” the magazine quotes Oprah on Instagram. “Imagine if three unidentified men burst into your home while you were sleeping. And your partner fired a gun to protect you. And then mayhem. What I know for sure: We can’t be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice. And that is why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. I cry for justice in her name.”

 

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For the first time in 20 years, @oprah has given up her O Magazine cover to honor Breonna Taylor. She says, “Breonna Taylor. She was just like you. And like everyone who dies unexpectedly, she had plans. Plans for a future filled with responsibility and work and friends and laughter. Imagine if three unidentified men burst into your home while you were sleeping. And your partner fired a gun to protect you. And then mayhem. What I know for sure: We can’t be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice. And that is why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. I cry for justice in her name.” Tap the link in our bio to read more about Oprah’s tribute to Breonna—and her recent conversation with her mother, Tamika Palmer. Breonna: This one’s for you ?? The September issue will be available wherever you buy or download your magazines on 8/11. (?: @alexis_art)

A post shared by O, The Oprah Magazine (@oprahmagazine) on Jul 30, 2020 at 5:30am PDT

[video_embed id='2003536']BEFORE YOU GO: Social justice is still top of mind for athletes as sports slowly return[/video_embed]In the magazine, which is one of last few print issues before O magazine makes the transition to online-only at the end of the year, Oprah reveals she has been in contact with Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer. In a heartfelt article the mogul shares more details about Taylor’s personality, including the fact that she loved chicken “any way you could cook it,” she put hot sauce on everything, “especially eggs,” she appreciated every kind of music, and she treated all her friends like besties.“Breonna Taylor felt meaning and purpose in her work as an emergency room technician. Breonna Taylor was saving to buy a house. Breonna Taylor had plans. Breonna Taylor had dreams. They all died with her the night five bullets shattered her body and her future,” Winfrey writes. “I think about Breonna Taylor often. She was the same age as the two daughter-girls from my school in South Africa who’ve been quarantining with Stedman and me since March. In all their conversations I feel the promise of possibilities. Their whole lives shine with the light of hopefulness. That was taken away from Breonna in such a horrifying manner.”At the top of the article, the publication calls on readers to continue the fight for Breonna Taylor by signing the change.org and Color of Change petitions to demand justice from Kentucky officials. The article also encourages people to donate to the Louisville Community Bail Fund to help protestors who are fighting in Taylor’s hometown, and to use the hashtag #SayHerName on social media so that no one forgets her.Winfrey is just one of many celebrities using their platform to raise awareness for Breonna Taylor. On June 5, the day that would have been her 27^th birthday, a slew of celebrities, activists and others demanded justice in her case. Days later Beyoncé penned a powerful open letter to the Kentucky attorney general demanding that charges be laid against the officers involved in her death. And in mid-June Jennifer Lawrence joined Twitter for the first time in order to speak out against the woman’s murder.To date no charges have been laid in Taylor’s killing, and two of the three officers still have their jobs (Hankison was fired in June). Since the young woman’s death, Louisville passed “Breonna’s Law,” a law that eliminates no-knock warrants and ensures that all police officers executing a warrant will wear a body camera for at least five minutes before and after a warrant is executed.As The Guardian points out, the original investigation into Taylor’s death was handled by the Louisville metro police department’s public integrity unit. But then as the case garnered national attention the FBI announced its own, separate investigation. Meanwhile the state also said the attorney general’s office would review the findings of the police examination. Currently no one knows exactly when a decision will be made in terms of whether charges will be filed.[video_embed id='1984979']BEFORE YOU GO: Canadian teen shares his experiences with anti-Black racism[/video_embed]