Brothers and Fellow Community Members,
On March 13th, 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department executed a no-knock raid on the residence of Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, not knowing who broke in, fired a warning shot. When the police fired back, several shots hit and killed Ms. Taylor. Taylor, who worked as an EMT, was killed in her home by LMPD.
On September 23rd, 2020, the following charge was placed on one of the officers: wanton endangerment – not of Ms. Taylor, mind you; but of a neighbor, due to the bullets that missed Taylor and her boyfriend and passed through the apartment.
This illustrates an issue that has been ever present in Black and Brown communities – the police are given free reign to commit violence in the name of stability yet only bring death and foster chaos. As an organization that has publicly affirmed a commitment to Black lives, we would be remiss if we did nothing to recognize this grave injustice.
Brothers, remember your Creed. Remember your roots and the impetus behind our founding. Do not let Breonna Taylor’s name fade into iniquitous nothingness as many others have. Agitate and advocate. Many will say half-heartedly that violence is never the answer, that we mustn’t soil the legacy of Breonna Taylor, as if her legacy wasn’t due to violence itself. If violence is never the answer, then why do we tolerate the state using it so recklessly and with impunity? As law enforcement professionals, officers have an obligation to be more ethically upstanding than the average citizen, not less. We will hold state actors accountable as they are supposed to be public servants, not oppressors of the public. We demand change, and we demand justice for Breonna Taylor’s family and all those who have fallen in cold blood without due process.
In Solidarity,
Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.
Committee of Social Advocacy (COSA)