She Had Hoped to Go to Nursing School

Breonna Taylor died a year ago this coming Saturday. She died on my 64th birthday.

When you turn 64, people sing the Beatles to you. When you turn 65, people send you a Medicare Card.

But what I really want for my 65th birthday is for us to remember Breonna Taylor. 

At the time Ms. Taylor was killed, she was working as an ER Technician in two different Louisville hospitals after previously serving as an Emergency Medical Technician.  She had hoped to go to nursing school.

[Note:  There is still misinformation about the shooting of Breonna Taylor and this article refutes that misinformation.  In truth, she was killed by two members of the Louisville Police who shot her six times.  One of those shots was fatal.  It is also true that no one was charged with her death.]

I am not asking you to give me a birthday gift or to donate in my name.  There is nothing about this that’s about me.

My wish, however, is that you would consider making a donation to the scholarship program of the National Black Nurses Association in memory of Breonna Taylor this week as a way to remember her name and her dreams.  Consider it a simple Lenten practice. You can make a donation here.

Please designate your gift in the dropdown to “Scholarship Donation” with the tribute being “in memory of” Breonna Taylor. There are many promising Black nursing students out there who will be blessed by our gifts.

Remember her name.  And remember that her dreams were destroyed in a single, racist moment.  She had hoped to go to nursing school.

Image is an undated family photo when Ms. Taylor was honored for her EMT work.