On this episode of Let's Talk, Kingston I had the honor to speak with Mary Haddad, a senior at Spackenkill High School, Oakwood Friends students, Brandon Christiansen and Jenine Tobias. We talked about the story behind the creating of the INCREDIBLE Black Lives Matter Mural that they painted that took over 324 hours of collaboration to create. We also talked about the experience of being a person of color, especially since the murder of George Floyd and the uprising of emotion that has been activated since last May.
The mural is at Cornell Creative Arts Center throughout the month of May and through mid-June as a part of the I.D.E.A. exhibit - Inclusion - Diversity - Equity - in America an exhibit that works to enable diverse populations of people with intellectual & developmental disabilities.
SAY THEIR NAMES - Victims of Police Brutality and their Deaths (composed by Mary Haddad)
Kawaski Trawick (top left) was a 32-year-old Black gay man who was murdered in his home during a mental health episode on April 14, 2019. After he called 911 for a fire, two officers, Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis, barged into his apartment and did not answer any of Trawick’s questions like, “why are you in my home?” He held a knife (he was cooking) and a stick and after not putting the knife down, Davis tased him. After, Kawaski stood up and was then fatally shot. There was no justice for Kawaski Trawick.
Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco (under Trawick) was a 27-year-old Afro-Latina transgender woman who was left to die in solitary confinement from epilepsy in New York Rikers Island after she couldn’t afford a $500 bail on June 6, 2019. Layleen was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge and was put in solitary confinement for an assault in the jail. She should not have been held in solitary confinement due to her health. Rikers Island has mandatory 15-minute checks, yet Layleen was left unchecked for 47 minutes and died due to 2 seizures. There was no justice for Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco.
Elijah McClain (bottom left corner) was a 23-year-old Black man murdered while walking home from the corner store on August 24, 2019. After a 911 call on Elijah claiming he looked “suspicious” because of his ski mask, officers threw him to the ground and held him in a chokehold twice while Elijah said “I can’t breathe” several times. After medics arrived, they injected him with an excessive amount of ketamine that sent him into cardiac arrest. Elijah was declared brain dead. An independent investigation revealed the three officers, Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema, had no legal reason to stop or search Elijah and medics reacted irrationally. There was no justice for Elijah McClain.
Andres Guardado (right of Trawick) was an 18-year-old Latino man murdered while working as a security guard for an auto body shop on June 18, 2020. Andres stood at the gate in conversation with someone in a car. The 2 officers, Chris Hernandez and Deputy Miguel Vega, claimed Andres had a gun and chased him through the alley where Deputy Miguel Vega shot him 6 times, 5 times in the back and one bullet grazing his arm. There was a gun found at the crime with no fingerprints and no trace of Andres’ DNA. The family says he did not leave with a gun. There was a shooting days before in the same spot and the autobody shop says law enforcement took their camera system and the two officers were not equipped with body cameras. There was no justice for Andres Guardado.
Tamir Rice (right of Layleen) was a 12-year-old Black boy murdered in a park for holding a toy gun on November 22, 2014. After receiving a 911 call about a 20-year-old Black male, the cops arrived at the recreational center and found Tamir walking away from a bench. He held the toy near his waist as officers arrived. As soon as they arrived, Timothy Loehmann was 4.5 feet away when he shot Tamir. There was no justice for Tamir Rice.
Breonna Taylor (right of Elijah) was a 26-year-old Black woman murdered in her home on March 13, 2020. Officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankinson, Myles Cosgrove and four more were supposed to conduct a warrant search on a house 10 miles away. It was midnight and the officers did not announce themselves according to five neighbors. Kenneth Walker, Breonna’s boyfriend and licensed gun owner, shot Jonathan Mattingly through the dark in the thigh because he believed it was a robbery. The three officers opened 22 rounds of fire into the dark and shot Breonna 6 times. Breonna was not given medical attention for 30 minutes. Ultimately, Brett Hankinson was fired, charged with wanton endangerment, and for the bullets that missed Breonna. None of them were convicted for murder. There was no justice for Breonna Taylor.
Aiyana Jones (right of Andres) was a 7-year-old Black girl murdered during a SWAT raid of the wrong apartment on May 16, 2020. A SWAT team of 6 directed by Joseph Weekley threw a grenade into the apartment and kicked down a wooden door. The grenade exploded near Aiyana who was sleeping on the couch. Then she was shot with a bullet hitting her head and exiting her neck. Aiyana died within an hour of the raid. The apartment they were supposed to raid was just upstairs. The initial trial was a mistrial, the charges of involuntary manslaughter dismissed, and later a second mistrial. There was no justice for Aiyana Jones.
Zachary Bearheels was a 29-year-old Indigenous man murdered due to being tased 12 times, dragged by his hair, and punched in the head several times by police all within 15 minutes during a mental health episode on June 5, 2017. Zachary was outside a grocery store where he was encountered with four officers, Scotty Payne, Ryan McClarty, Jennifer Studley, and Makayla Mead, who used excessive force to arrest Zachary for no legal reason. Zachary, suffering from Bipolar Disease and Schizophrenia, died in the parking lot. All officers were found innocent and three of them reinstated. There was no justice for Zachary Bearheels.
George Floyd (right of Breonna) was a 46-year-old Black man murdered for an alleged $20 counterfeit bill on May 25, 2020. Parked in the street, officers approached him aggressively and pulled George out of his car into a cop car. After two more cop cars arrived, Derek Chauvin pulled George Floyd out of the police car and kneeled on George’s neck for 9 minutes and 26 seconds while J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane held George down and Tou Thao watched. George said “I can’t breathe” at least 28 times along with “Help me,” “Let me go,” and “Mama.” Derek Chauvin was dismissed of murder charges and the other three were not held accountable. The court will hear arguments to reinstate charges of third-degree murder against Chauvin. We demand justice for George Floyd.
Ahmaud Arbery (top right corner) was a 25-year-old Black man murdered by three off-duty and officers not in uniform while jogging on February 23, 2020. Travis and Greg McMichael (a father-son duo) accompanied by William Bryan knew of a suspect roaming a construction site allegedly looking for water. There were also several other people who roamed the sight. The three believed Ahmaud was the suspect. Travis McMichael shot Ahmaud twice and Greg McMichael watched from the bed of a truck while loading a gun. The three men were arrested more than two months later and remain in jail without bond until a trial date is set. We demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
Tanisha Anderson (bottom right) was a 37-year-old Black woman murdered in front of her home during a mental health episode, suffering from Bipolar Disease and Schizophrenia, on November 12, 2014. When officers Scott Aldridge and Bryan Myers arrived, they threw her faced down onto the icy pavement and kneeled on her back. As a result, Tanisha stopped breathing while reciting a prayer and died moments after. The officers failed to call an ambulance for 14 minutes. There was no justice for Tanisha Anderson.
