Oprah Launches Massive Billboard Campaign To Demand Justice For Breonna Taylor

Friday marks 147 days since Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in her home. Now, Oprah Winfrey is making sure that people in Taylor's community of Louisville, Kentucky, don't forget what happened — by launching a massive billboard campaign across the city demanding that the officers involved be arrested and charged. 

"O, The Oprah Magazine" announced the initiative on Friday, saying that the 26 billboards — one for each year Taylor's life — were launched across Louisville on Thursday, including downtown and on Interstate 65.

Each billboard features the portrait of Taylor that will be featured on the September cover of the magazine, along with a clear message: "Demand that the police involved in killing Breonna Taylor be arrested and charged." 

A quote from Winfrey accompanies the message: "If you turn a blind eye to racism, you become an accomplice to it." 

The signs also direct people to the social justice organization Until Freedom, which has recently taken up residence in Louisville to focus on getting justice for Taylor, O Magazine said in a statement on its website. The online statement also directs people to sign petitions that demand justice for Taylor, call Kentucky officials, donate to local bail funds, and use #SayHerName on social media. 

The September issue of the magazine will be the first time in 20 years that Winfrey will not be featured on the cover. 

On March 13, police entered Taylor's home with a no-knock warrant. The officers fatally shot Taylor while looking for illegal drugs, which were never found. Officials have claimed that they only shot at Taylor after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at them first. 

Taylor's family has claimed that Walker shot at the officers because they did not announce themselves when they entered the home, and he thought they were trying to break in. 

Only one of the three officers involved in Taylor's death has been fired. None of the officers have been charged. 

Winfrey tweeted a message about the decision to feature Taylor on July 30, saying she thinks about Taylor often. 

"Breonna Taylor. She was just like me. She was just like you," Winfrey wrote. "Imagine if three unidentified men burst into your home while you were sleep. 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."

First published on August 7, 2020 / 5:56 PM

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