People we mentioned in our poem.

Their stories

George Floyd

George Perry Floyd Jr. was a father, boyfriend, security guard, and most importantly, a good man. He was a religious man and a family man. He worked hard to support his family and give his children he best life possible. Despite all this, a police officer named Derek Chauvin took his life cold heartedly in a slow agonizing death spanning over 9 minutes. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd went to a grocery store and the store owner called the police on him because the owner believed that he had used a counterfeit $20 bill. After being pulled over by 4 police officers, Chauvin handcuffed Floyd and laid him face down on the road. If this wasn’t enough of an insult, Chauvin kneeled down on Floyd’s neck and back for over 9 minutes during which George Floyd suffocated and passed away. George Floyd will always be remembered and celebrated as a hero. His death will not be in vain.

Ma'khia Bryant

Ma'Khia Bryant was a 16 year old girl, a daughter and granddaughter, a friend, a sister, and so much more. Many people love her and cared for her. She was a minor, a teenager who had not yet lived life to its fullest. Yet, on April 20, 2021, a police officer Nicholas Reardon fatally shot her. In an encounter in which Ma'Khia had held a knife for self defense, Reardon fired 4 shots at her. Ma'Khia was taken from her family and friends and robbed of many years that she should have lived to accomplish great things and bring happiness and joy to those she cared about.

Tamir Rice

Tamir Rice was a son, a little brother, a student, and a child. With all of 12 years, he was an active part of his community, regularly attending the recreational center and a talent in many sports. Everyone he came in contact with enjoyed his company. However, these charming and amazing qualities did not save him from the cruelty and racism of a police officer named Timothy Loehmann. On November 22, 2014, little Tamir was playing with a toy gun when someone called the police on him. Despite telling the officers that the toy was probably fake and that the boy was probably a juvenile, Loehmann shot Tamir on site. Tamir died the next day. His family and community will never forget him. Tamir would have turned 19 this month.

Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor was a front line worker, a girlfriend, and a daughter. She worked hard to ear her graduate degree and worked as a full time ER technician. She was an honest woman who never got involved in illegal activity despite having several opportunities too. She was strong, intelligent, and good. Despite this, however, she was cold hardly shot and killed by police officers who forcefully entered her apartment passed midnight on March 13 2020. The police officers never announced themselves, causing Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, to fire a warning shot at the police because they believed that the police were robbers. After this single shot, the police shot 36 shots into Taylor’s apartment, 6 of which hit Taylor. Since Taylor’s killing, her family, boyfriend, and even ex boyfriend have defended her memory in court and have worked to get justice.

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