Oprah Winfrey always dons the cover of her O Magazine — but for the first time ever, Winfrey has stepped aside and given up the cover to honor Breonna Taylor.
“Breonna Taylor,” writes Winfrey. “She was just like me. 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.”
Taylor lost her life on March 13 when several Louisville police officers, executing a search warrant, used a battering ram to enter her apartment. The police fired into the apartment, shooting Taylor several times.
According to Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, Taylor coughed and struggled to breathe for at least five minutes after being shot, but received no medical assistance or help from officers at the scene.
Her death has sparked protests across the country. None of the officers have been charged with the murder, and only one has been fired from the department.
The cover is not only a tribute to Taylor, but also serves as Winfrey’s demand for justice in her name.
“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,” Winfrey continues.
“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.”
#JusticeForBreonnaTaylor
