Solidarity in Bowling Green: One year after Breonna Taylor’s death

Standing in solidarity with other groups around Kentucky, the Bowling Green Freedom Walkers and Bowling Green’s Sunrise Movement banded together to continue the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor. 

Taylor was a 26-year-old EMT in Louisville who was shot on March 13, 2020 in her apartment by a Louisville Metro Police Department officer who was executing a no-knock warrant. 

On March 13, 2021, one year after Taylor’s death, this story was retold as the Bowling Green community came together to express their solidarity and drive for social justice and equity. 

Local elected officials such as Bowling Green Commissioners Carlos Bailey and Dana Beasley-Brown, Kentucky House Representative Patti Minter and Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower were present and spoke to those who gathered. 

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The speakers expressed their dismay at once more speaking at a rally that sought justice for Breonna Taylor and countless other Black people who have fallen at the hands of police brutality. 

There was discussion of Breonna’s Law being passed on the state level, a piece of legislation which would altogether outlaw or dramatically limit the usage of no-knock warrants in policing. This is seen as a critical piece of legislation to start combating the inequity seen by communities of color.

The crowd on Saturday was somber and emotional, which resonated deeply with the Bowling Green residents in attendance. 

There was song and poetry that called for remembrance of those who have been murdered at the hands of police as well as calls for awareness of the issue. 

The event ended in a peaceful march to the Warren County Justice Center.

Members of the Bowling Green chapter of the Sunrise Movement making signs for the march at the Breonna Taylor Memorial Service.
Kentucky Rep. Patti Minter addresses the crowd at the Breonna Taylor Memorial Event under the awning of the SOKY Marketplace. Minter expressed dismay at once more speaking at a rally on the lack of justice that came from the Taylor’s death. Minter expressed her drive on ensuring Breonna’s Law is passed.
Attendees of the Breonna Taylor Memorial Event march down College Street en route to the Warren County Justice Center. This was part of a loop that took the marchers around downtown Bowling Green.
Briana Buckner, a WKU alum and Bowling Green native performing “Waiting on the World to Change” for the crowd at the SOKY Marketplace during the Breonna Taylor Memorial Event. Buckner later stated that the event means a lot to them. “It means change, it means that someone is listening to us.”
Attendees of the Breonna Taylor Memorial Event marched from the SOKY Marketplace to the Warren County Justice Center in downtown Bowling Green on March 13. A diverse cross section of the Bowling Green and Warren County community turned out in solidarity for the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s murder, mixing local equal rights justice and advocate groups and normal citizens.
Members of the Bowling Green chapter of the Sunrise Movement demand justice for the family of Breonna Taylor. The Sunrise Movement is active in drafting and pushing for legislation such as the Green New Deal.