Porsha Williams Speaks On Protesting: “I’ve Had More Jail Time Than the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor”
“Real Housewives Of Atlanta“ star Porsha Williams is one of many celebrities who have been using their voice and platform to shed light on social injustice. As we previously reported, the 39-year-old attended many protests as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum in the wake of George Floyd’s May 25 death.
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As PEOPLE notes, the reality star and activist was arrested twice. After being hit with tear gas at an Atlanta protest for Floyd on June 2, she was then taken into police custody. She was charged criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and intimidating a participant in a legal process, which were later dropped. She was arrested again at a protest for Breonna Taylor in Louisville on Aug. 25 and charged with obstructing a highway and disorderly conduct (second degree).
In an essay for PEOPLE Magazine, Williams expresses her outrage and disappointment with the officers involved in Breonna Taylor‘s murder, who haven’t been arrested yet. She’s also making it clear that despite all of her obstacles, she’s not giving up the fight against systemic racism. “Breonna Taylor was killed in her home six months ago, and since then we have been calling for justice and the arrest of the cops who murdered her that day. It has taken too long for justice in this case, longer than most people are willing to wait — or pay attention to. And that’s why I, along with many others, have traveled to Kentucky not once, but twice. We will continue to bring attention and keep pressure on Attorney General Daniel Cameron as he does his investigation. He needs to know that we will not be pushed to the side. We will not be silenced.”
“Yet as much as this delay upsets us, we have to be patient. We haven’t just been waiting for justice for six months — we’ve been waiting for centuries. It’s not only for Breonna Taylor, but it’s also for the countless others who have been victims of police brutality. Right now, we are the voice of the voiceless — past, present, and future.”
She went on to explain,
“The reason I kissed my daughter at home, got on a plane during a pandemic and protested in Kentucky two times now was because people were forgetting about the ‘extreme indifference to the value of human life,’ as Louisville Metro interim chief Robert Schroeder described former officer Brett Hankison’s actions. We needed to escalate the conversation again and demand action. It doesn’t matter that one lost his job and the other officers — Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — are on administrative reassignment. That’s not justice — that’s an eraser at best. I’m so blessed to work with such an amazing organization like Until Freedom. With their help, I have now been able to be a part of something bigger than myself and put my love to work. I’ve been arrested twice in the name of justice and, ironically enough, have spent more time in jail than the people I’m protesting against. Yes, I can repeat that: I’ve now spent more time in jail than the people I’m protesting against.”
Before concluding she added,
“If the officers are ultimately arrested, Breonna Taylor will still be gone. Her beautiful mother that I got to meet in Kentucky will still grieve for the loss of her daughter. Yet by achieving justice we not only get closure for Breonna’s family, but we also get one step closer to the ultimate goal: equality.”
“I am here to use my voice, my platform, my body, and my being to get justice for Breonna Taylor, an African-American Queen. And as we continue to wait on the results of the attorney general’s investigation, we need to continue to use our voices, our platform, and our love in order to call for and get that justice. Breonna’s change.org petition has received over 10 million signatures and nothing has been done. Keep signing and keep letting them hear us,” PEOPLE quotes.
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RELATED: Petition For Breonna Taylor Draws 10M Signatures, 2nd-Highest Ever On Change.org