Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, has reaffirmed her for activist Tamika Mallory. In a brief statement, Palmer said that she will continue to support Mallory as she has always supported her.
"I don’t understand why we keep having to say this but here it goes again," Palmer wrote.
“The family of Breonna Taylor fully supports and stands with Tamika D Mallory and Until Freedom, just as they have with us."
Palmer's words of support come after Mallory faced intense criticism for her involvement in Lil' Baby's performance at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on March 14. During the performance, Insecure star and activist Kendrick Sampson seemingly reenacted the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. As Lil' Baby rapped about police brutality, the camera panned to activist and rapper Killer Mike as well as activist and author Tamika Mallory. Mallory also delivered a short monologue discussing racial injustice and social unrest in America. While the performance was praised by some, it also received severe backlash. Many felt that the reenactment of Brooks' death could evoke feelings of past trauma that many Black Americans have endured. Others felt like the performance commercialized a growing social movement for Black Americans. The most vocal critic of the performance was Tamir Rice's mother, Samaria Rice.
***The video below contains reenactments of police violence***
“Look at this clout chaser,” she said referring to Tamika Mallory.
“Did she lose something in this fight? I don’t think so. The problem [is that] they take us for a joke. That’s why we never have justice. [It's] 'cause of sh–t like this.”
Rice did not only offer harsh words for Mallory. She also called Ben Crump and Lee Merritt "ambulance chasing attorneys."
“I hope not another family soul used y’all to represent them," she said about the two attorneys.
At this time, Crump and Meritt have not responded to Rice. However, Mallory did offer a brief response to Rice's comments.
“Nothing we say today is an attack against Ms. Rice. I want to make sure that that is stated from the very, very beginning. Quite frankly, Ms. Rice is right. I support 100% how she feels and what she has stated in terms of her pain related to her son,” Mallory said during a recent episode of Street Politicians with Mysonne.
“I was thinking a lot about this coming here today— we all have failed her. As a nation, I think that whenever a child, or any person, but particularly a child is killed, this nation should have erupted. And the fact that she did not get the proper justice for her son would make anyone angry. And so I totally understand and respect the trauma and pain that she feels as a mother.”
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