“Dear Cardinal Family,
Moments ago, a Louisville grand jury indicted one of the three officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor on March 13, but not on charges related to her killing. While I am pleased that the grand jury has acknowledged the unlawful actions of this police officer and that he will be tried for the unnecessary violence he caused that night, I am disappointed that our justice system allows these atrocities to occur all too often with relatively little consequence.
“Today’s announcement of charges does not change the fact that Breonna Taylor was killed in her home, another Black woman who lost her life at the hands of law enforcement. It does not fix a system that allowed that to happen. A new study by Harvard researchers finds that Black people are three times more likely on average than white people to be killed during a police interaction.
“Today’s announcement is a reminder that we must recommit to pursuing racial justice and pushing for changes in law enforcement, our legal system, public policy and our educational curricula.
“Change will not come easy. We acknowledge that the path of progress has seldom run smoothly and we are more determined than ever to seek racial equity and justice.
“As the late civil rights icon and U.S. Congressman John Lewis said:
“‘Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.’
“As I said in an earlier email, let us do our best to demonstrate to one another during this historic and difficult time that we are truly a community of care that values diversity and inclusion and respects our people, irrespective of their positions. I commit again to you today that I will do my part in the ongoing fight to ensure social justice, equal opportunity for all and the elimination of all forms of racism. I hope you will join me.
– Neeli Bendapudi”
If you need help processing this news, please reach out to one of the many resources available to you as a member of our UofL community. The Counseling Center will offer virtual and personal counseling sessions for students. The Employee Assistance Program will provide counseling services for faculty and staff.
