Will memes pressure Ky. authorities in Taylor case?
A cookie recipe. An NBA schedule. A “Wheel of Fortune” board.
While these images have no direct connection to police brutality or Black Lives Matter, they have all been used to promote the same message: Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.
Celebrities, influencers and activists are saturating social media with memes that target audiences – whether sports fans, plant lovers or foodies – then shift the focus to Taylor’s death.
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was killed at her apartment March 13 by Louisville, Kentucky, police serving a no-knock warrant. Her boyfriend fired a shot as officers entered, thinking they were intruders, and Taylor was shot eight times when officers returned gunfire.
The case stands out from other recent killings because the officers have not been prosecuted, said Scott Roberts, senior director of criminal justice campaigns for Color of Change, whereas officers in the George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks cases were arrested and charged.
One meme shared by rapper T.I. starts off saying he’s creating an “OnlyFans” page but then directs people to call Kentucky authorities to get the link and ask them to arrest the officers.
Another features a “Justice for Breonna Taylor checklist” with boxes outlining “fired,” “arrested,” “convicted” and “imprisoned” for each officer involved.
Researchers say the growing movement to get justice for Taylor – whether using creative memes or a hashtag – has made it hard for the public to ignore the case. The #justiceforbreonnataylor hashtag has been used in 1.5 million posts in the past two months. Data shows the hashtag peaked on June 5 and again on June 18.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 80% of Black people believe social media highlights important issues that may not otherwise get much attention.
Some critics, however, argue that humorous memes are ineffective for social media protests.
Seft Hunter, director of Black-led organizing at Community Change, said the memes could be perceived as not taking Taylor’s death seriously.
“I categorically draw the line of anything that could potentially diminish the loss of life in this case,” Hunter said. “And things that could create additional harm or pain to the family or to the loved ones.”