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Bryson Tiller honours Breonna Taylor with billboard messages in Kentucky

Taylor was shot and killed by officers during a botched raid on her home in March

30th September 2020

Bryson Tiller has honoured Breonna Taylor with a series of billboard messages in Kentucky.

• Read more: Bryson Tiller talks shunning the spotlight and how Kanye West inspired him to pursue his dreams

Taylor was shot and killed by officers during a botched raid on her home in the state in March. Last week, Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron failed to charge the police officers who fatally shot her.

A Kentucky grand jury indicted former detective Brett Hankison, who was charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment relating to gunfire which entered a neighbouring apartment [via BBC News].

But the other officers John Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the latter of whom fired the shot that killed Taylor, were not charged.

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#BrysonTiller honors #BreonnaTaylor in their hometown of Louisville 🙏🏿 // 📸 @brysontiller

A post shared by REVOLT TV (@revolttv) on Sep 30, 2020 at 11:12am PDT

The verdict prompted Tiller, who recently purchased billboards to promote his forthcoming album ‘Anniversary’, to instead use them to pay tribute to Taylor.

“Dear Breonna Taylor, you’ve brought the city of Louisville together like I’ve never seen before, and we will never forget you…” one billboard read. Another stated: “We love you Breonna Taylor.”

Bryson Tiller dedicates Billboards to Breonna Taylor in their hometown of Louisville, KY. pic.twitter.com/jv1JP2YmxS

— Rap Alert (@rapalert2) September 29, 2020

Tiller’s gesture wasn’t the first time billboards were dedicated to Taylor. Last month, Oprah Winfrey purchased 26 billboards around Louisville, Kentucky to honour every year of her life she was alive.

Rihanna, Cardi B, Kehlani, Tinashe and Common all reacted angrily to the recent verdict over Taylor’s death.

Cardi called the decision “so sad and discouraging”, while Rihanna shared a picture of a protester who was holding a sign that read: “A cop shot a black woman and was only charged for the shots missed.”

A wide selection of artists have made statements calling for justice for Taylor in the six months since her death. Beyoncé penned an open letter to the Kentucky Attorney General and The Weeknd called for justice for Taylor and Jacob Blake in his acceptance speeches at the MTV VMAs 2020.

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• breonna
• Bryson Tiller
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