MCAAM Releases Statement on Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Charging Decision

The Mayor’s Commission on African American Males (MCAAM) released the following statement regarding Breonna Taylor Grand Jury charging decision:

“The grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in Louisville Kentucky on March 13, 2020, should not shock any of us given our nation’s history of protecting the police rather than the communities they are sworn to serve. Yet, once again, the Black community finds itself angry and heartbroken at the latest example of the justice system’s failure to deliver justice. It, unfortunately, would seem, once again, that Black Lives do not matter.

“Kentucky State Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s carefully worded and opaque explanations as to why none of the police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor were charged for her blatantly wrongful shooting raises more questions than answers.  And, Cameron’s initial refusal to release grand jury transcripts related to the case, despite public calls to do so, is also troubling and only fuels speculation that there was absolutely no motivation to bring these killers to justice.  After a judge’s order, Cameron now states he will comply and release the grand jury presentation. If there is a lesson to be learned from this tragedy it is that even in the midst of a so-called national “racial reckoning,” our justice system continues to lack the will and is neither designed nor equipped to protect or serve Black people.

“We must hold police accountable for their behavior, ensure prosecutors charge officers involved in the wrongful harm or death of our brothers and sisters and restructure our courts so they no longer protect these officers and uphold a system that continues to perpetuate negative outcomes that historically and disproportionately impact Black communities. 

“In Philadelphia, we will continue to demand more diversity and community-centeredness from the people who make decisions, insist on transparency about how these decisions are made and standardized, and ensure that law enforcement officials have an ongoing, two-way dialog with the Black community about impactful reforms and distribution of resources that will be dedicated to ensuring that our neighborhoods are no longer over-policed, but instead serviced, respected and protected. Anything short of that only serves to protect a status quo that will inevitably lead to more unpunished murders of innocent Black people at the hands of police.  

We can and must do better.”