#saytheirnames

So I like to keep things light in SL because I figure we all use it in some form or fashion to escape. But the recent events have been heavy on my mind, and honestly, IMO, if you're silent, you're complicit.

Yes. This post is political. Because life is political. And to escape that is to have privilege. And I would rather use my privilege in a positive light than use it to run away from things that matter.

Guys, 2020 has been a shit show this year, for real, but you know what has always been a shit show?

The murder of black people as a result of police brutality.

I was inspired by Sparklebottom's recent photo expressing her feelings on this subject matter and visited the "Walls of Freedom" installation as a result. The build incorporates themes of both social justice and disparity throughout history, providing education on the Holocaust, #BlackLivesMatter movement, banned/censored art and books, and other important socio-political topics. Graffiti depicting all manners of protest, satire, homage, art and quotes covers the wall space of this build. It's a big place. Take some time to check it out. You can also pick up some free clothing and decor there supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Black people are three times more likely to be killed by a cop.

In 2017, police killed 1,129 people and of those killed, 25% were black people. There is tragic loss that surrounds our nation on a daily basis so pervasively that we are all inundated with headlines, hashtags, protests, and social media movements trying to shine light on the injustices that disproportionately impact black Americans and other People of Color.

"Say Their Names" is a social media campaign aimed at bringing attention to the black women, men, and children whose lives are taken unjustly and often made invisible victims by police brutality.

Let's help ensure that the stories of these victims are integrated into demands for justice, policy responses to police violence to actually police their violence and implement better training, and change media representations of black victims of police brutality.

Let us stand with our fists in the air between those who harm others and those who need their lives protected and in remembrance of the innocent black women, men, and children whose lives were lost unjustly.

Say. Their. Names.

**CONTENT WARNING - the following links are mostly to wikipedia, however, some links do lead to graphic descriptions and/or either eye-witness or police body cam videos of violence/murder. Please use discretion.**

These are just a very few who have lost their lives and were denied justice:

AMADOU DIALLO - Age 23. Killed 1999. While taking out wallet, 41 shots fired by four officers, who were all acquitted.

SEAN BELL - Age 23. Killed 2006. Hosting a bachelor party, 50 rounds fired by police officers. Officers found not guilty of charges.

OSCAR GRANT - Age 22. Killed 2009. Handcuffed and face-down, officer shot him in the back. Officer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

AIYANA JONES - Age 7. Killed 2010. Sleeping, accidentally shot by officer in a raid on wrong apartment. Officer cleared of all charges.

TRAYVON MARTIN - Age 17. Killed 2012. Walking home with iced tea and Skittles. Shot by George Zinneman, who was found not guilty.

JORDAN DAVIS - Age 17. Killed 2012. Killed because he was playing loud music. Shooter found guilty of first-degree murder.

RENISHA MCBRIDE - Age 19. Killed 2013. Auto accident, shot while knocking on a resident’s door for help. Homeowner was found guilty of second-degree murder.

TAMIR RICE - Age 12. Killed 2014. Playing with toy gun, shot by police officer arriving on scene. Officer was not charged.

JONATHAN FERRELL - Age 24. Killed 2014. Asking for help after auto accident. Shot twelve times by police, case ended in mistrial.

JOHN CRAWFORD - Age 22. Killed 2014. Shopping at WalMart, holding a BB gun on sale, police officer was not charged.

MICHAEL BROWN - Age 18. Killed 2014. Shot at twelve times by officer, hit six times. Could have survived if not for the shot directly to his head. No charges filed.

JASON HARRISON - Age 38. Killed 2015. Mentally disabled, wielding a screwdriver. Shot six times by two officers. Grand Jury failed to indict and civil case was dropped.

WALTER SCOTT - Age 50. Killed 2015. Pulled over for brake light, shot in the back by police officer, who pleaded guilty to civil rights violations.

FREDDIE GRAY - Age 25. Killed 2015. Beaten to death by officers while being transported in police van. All officers involved were acquitted.

SANDRA BLAND - Age 28. Killed 2015. Pulled over for traffic ticket, tasered and arrested. Suspicious “suicide” while in jail. No charges.

COREY JONES - Age 31. Killed 2015. Waiting by his disabled vehicle, shot three times by police officer who was found guilty of murder.

TERRENCE CRUTCHER - Age 40. Killed 2016. Disabled vehicle, shot by police officer, who was found not guilty of manslaughter.

ALTON STERLING - Age 37. Killed 2016. Selling CDs, shot at close range while being arrested. No charges filed.

PHILANDO CASTILE - Age 32. Killed 2016. Pulled over in car, told officer he had a legally registered weapon in car. Officer acquitted of all charges.

KEITH SCOTT - Age 43. Killed 2016. Sitting in car, reading. Shot by police officer, who was not charged.

JORDAN EDWARDS - Age 15. Killed 2017. Riding in a car. Shot in the back of the head by police officer, who was found guilty of murder.

STEPHON CLARK - Age 23. Killed 2018. Holding a cell phone. Shot 8 times, 6 in the back. Officers not charged.

BOTHAM JEAN - Age 26. Killed 2018. Shot at home, which police officer "mistook" for her own. Officer found guilty of murder.

DANYE JONES - Age 24. Killed 2018. Hung from a tree in the backyard of his family home. He was found by his mother, prominent Ferguson activist, Melissa McKinnies.

ATATIANA JEFFERSON - Age 28. Killed 2019. Looking out her window, shot by police officer, who is still under indictment for murder.

TETE GULLEY - Age 31. Hung to death from a tree in Portland, OR, May 27, 2019. Police claimed suicide.

ELIJAH McCLAIN - Age 23. Killed 2019. Died after being assaulted by police and injected with ketamine which caused him to go into cardiac arrest.

AHMAUD ARBERY - Age 25. Killed 2020. Jogging, shot by two men who claimed they suspected him of burglaries. Both men charged with murder and aggravated assault.

MANUEL ELLIS - Age 33. Killed 2020. Died after being tazed and beaten by police. The officers involved in Ellis' death were initially placed on administrative leave, but then were returned to work after the police department ruled no violation of policy.

BREONNA TAYLOR - Age 26. Killed 2020. Shot 8 times after police forcefully entered her house unannounced with a "no-knock" warrant. Officers placed on "administrative reassignment" and have not been indicted.

MAURICE GORDON, JR. - Age 28. Killed 2020. Maced and shot after being pulled over for a traffic stop in NJ.

GEORGE FLOYD - Age 46. Killed 2020. Suffocated while an officer pressed his knee against his throat while handcuffed and pinned to the ground. All because he bought a pack of cigarettes. Four officers fired, only one arrested for murder & manslaughter.

DION JOHNSON - Age 28. Killed 2020. Was killed after an altercation when police found him sleeping in his car.

DAVID McATEE - Age 53. Killed 2020. Shot in front of his business after unconfirmed "shots fired" claim from police during protests. His body was left there for 12+ hours. Police chief has been fired, but retains his pension, and no officers directly involved have been charged.

SEAN MONTERROSA - Age 22. Killed 2020. Shot and killed by an officer who thought Monterrosa had a gun in his pocket, but investigations later revealed that the weapon was a long, 15-inch hammer tucked into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

JAMEL FLOYD - Age 35. Killed 2020. Died in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being pepper-sprayed by staff, even though they were aware Floyd suffered from asthma and diabetes.

MALCOLM HARSCH - Age 38. Hung to death from a tree in Victorville, CA, May 30, 2020; Police claimed suicide.

DOMINIQUE ALEXANDER - Age 27. Hung to death from a tree in Manhattan Park, NY, June 8, 2020. Police claimed suicide.

ROBERT FULLER - Age 24. Hung to death from a tree in Palmdale, CA, June 9, 2020; Police claimed suicide.