So grateful to have been asked by Jahru and Julia to be on this mural with Future History Now in partnership with Banneker Douglass Museum and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture to bring to you this collaborative community mural project depicting Breonna Taylor at Chambers Park, Annapolis MD, USA.

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         This was my first time as a teaching artist and I had a great time coming together with the community to commemorate the life of Breonna Taylor and all the black lives that have been lost to police violence, incidents of police brutality, and all racially motivated violence against black people. 

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         Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her, apartment on March 13, 2020, when white officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department forced entry into the apartment as part of an investigation into drug dealing operations. Taylor's boyfriend was inside the apartment with her when the plainclothes officers knocked on the door and then forced entry. The officers said that they announced themselves as police before forcing entry, but Walker said he did not hear any announcement, thought the officers were intruders and fired a warning shot at them. The shot hit Mattingly in the leg, and the officers fired 32 shots in return. Walker was unhurt but Taylor, who was behind Walker, was hit by six bullets and died. According to police, Taylor's home was never searched.

         Thank you to the FHN Teaching Artists, volunteers, documentarians, donors, and supporters, including (to name a few): Chambers Park, Annapolis Recs & Parks, City of Annapolis, Greater Parole Community Assoc, Arts Council Anne Arundel County, Arundel Patriot, Deonte Ward, B.L.A.C.K. Excel, Jovenes Artistas, Hood 2 Good, Stanton Center,  Cell Spitfire, Stephanie Baker, Lindsay Bolin, Marcus Hayes, Ryan Billings, Organic Art, Chanel Compton, Luther Wright, Mayor Gavin, Jackson Anderson, Mike Paredes, Erin Jones Berry, Youlee Nishimura, One Annapolis, Street Art Films, Brian White,  WhiteWashing, LLC, Rental Works of MD, Divaa DiVoice, Ariana Perez, Paul W. Gillespie, and too many more to mention.

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Please visit Future History Now to donate and learn about other youth projects and the Breonna Taylor Foundation.

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Design: Jeff 'Jahru'  Huntington

Photography/Videography: Oliver James, Street Art Films