On March 13, Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville police. As the 26-year-old EMT and her boyfriend slept in their apartment, Louisville police burst into their home guns blazing, without warning in search of a suspect who was already in their custody.

Taylor was shot eight times. Police claim that the officers were executing a search warrant as part of a drug investigation. No narcotics were found in the apartment. Taylor was a young, black essential worker doing her part to save lives amidst the coronavirus pandemic. She was an aspiring nurse and had a bright future ahead of her.

In an interview featured in The Washington Post on May 12, Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother states “Not one person has talked to me. Not one person has explained anything to me.” She goes on to add, “I want justice for her. I want them to say her name. There’s no reason Breonna should be dead at all.” It is reported that officers fired through closed blinds, with no real consideration for human life.

In a lawsuit filed April 27, it was revealed that Louisville police were looking for a man who not only lived in a completely different apartment complex to Taylor but who was also already in their custody when officers stormed Taylor’s apartment at approximately 1 am.

The lawsuit states that Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, shot at officers when they forced themselves into the home without announcing their entry. It is alleged that the officers fired over 20 rounds of ammunition into the home. Walker was not injured.

The lawsuit states that Walker was under the impression that their apartment was being broken into, so he fired back in an act of self-defense. He was arrested following the incident and is facing charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer. Neither Taylor nor Walker had a history of offenses.

In their legal action against the three officers involved, Taylor’s family has reportedly hired Attorney Ben Crump – a prominent civil rights lawyer within the Black Lives Matter movement. Crump is also representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed in February whilst out jogging.

Footage of Arbery’s death surfaced online last week and the case has drawn widespread attention. A father and son, Gregory and Travis McMichael were subsequently arrested and charged with Arbery’s murder. The murderers were only charged once the case gained national and international attention.

On Monday morning, Crump stated that Taylor’s death was “inexcusable”, and he confirmed that no one from Louisville police has been held responsible for her death. According to the attorney, “Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the department has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing.”

Crump added, “They’re killing our sisters just like they’re killing our brothers, but for whatever reason, we have not given our sisters the same attention that we have given to Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Terence Crutcher, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald…”

The attention garnered by the killings of black women like Breonna Taylor highlights the issue of gender bias in racial discourse and discriminatory police practices. Black men are stereotypically viewed as threatening and unsafe – a trope that has been used throughout history to perpetuate violence against black men who have been deemed to be ‘dangerous’. Black women, on the other hand, are often ignored in mainstream understandings of racialized state violence.  This must change for there to be an effective solution to these incidents.

Taylor was killed almost two months ago, however, her case only gained widespread attention after her story became viral on social media.

Taylor’s killing was shameful. In the aftermath of the shooting, Louisville police referred to Taylor as ‘the suspect’, and for weeks, their account of events was that they killed a ‘suspect’, further perpetuating their narrative that the killing was somehow justified. It has not been until the story’s recent widespread attention that they are finally being forced to acknowledge the severity of the situation.

The lens on racialized issues must be expanded to include the realities and experiences of black women. By including the voices of those who are often ignored, we can start to get a more accurate picture of gender bias in policing as well as wider society in general.

Until then, we should continue to #SayHerName.