Amidst the global outrage against police brutality, an illustration of Breonna Taylor is the cover of Vanity Fair’s September issue “The Great Fire”.
Presenting Breonna Taylor for Vanity Fair’s September issue, “The Great Fire,” guest-edited by Ta-Nehisi Coates. https://t.co/Gf9115GkGb pic.twitter.com/0TdNBeIOve
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 24, 2020
Vanity Fair’s September issue revolves around art, anti-racism activism and powerful figures in 21st century America. Amy Sherald is the artist behind the portrait of Taylor. Sherald is known for her 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama. In the mean time, the former First Lady’s portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
Sherald said of the cover:
“I made this portrait for her family. I mean, of course I made it for Vanity Fair, but the whole time I was thinking about her family… Producing this image keeps Breonna alive forever.”
Edited by renowned author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, recounts the life story of her oldest daughter. The 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was fatally shot by police whilst she was asleep at home in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13.
Breonna Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer (L) & sister Juniyah Palmer (R) Photo Credit: Vanity Fair
Speaking about her life, Palmer recollects her childhood as a black woman and her encounters with police. She details Taylor’s upbringing, sharing memorable stories. Including how she was as a daughter and goals she had. The September issue also sheds light on the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Even at 26 years old, she is pretty much the [family] glue.”
She painfully recounts the night of her daughter’s death, saying:
“Maybe it’s not Breonna, because I never see her, mind you. The police never let me see her. But I know it’s her house, you know what I’m saying?”
Palmer also expressed her frustrations with the police:
“And I keep wondering, Why would somebody do this? Until I actually learn on the news that the police did this.”
“You asked me whether I knew someone who wanted to hurt my daughter. But you did it.”
On-going protests are still prevalent in America, given that none of the officers involved in Taylor’s shooting have been charged.
Photo Credit: Black Enterprise
Taylor is also the cover of Oprah Winfrey’s O September Cover. Significantly, this is the first time in 20 years that Winfrey herself is not the cover of her monthly magazine. The issue will focus on anti-racism and white privilege. Along with the issue, 26 billboards, representing each year of her life, will spread across her home town. Particularly, the billboards demand the officers be arrested and charged.
Not to mention, Beyoncé has also written a letter to Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Specifically, she urges to hold the officers “accountable for their actions” and “demonstrate the value of a black woman’s life”.
Read Tamika Palmer’s full article here.
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