People in dozens of cities across the country on Monday staged a coordinated protest of police violence against Black women, something that recently took the life of Atatiana Jefferson in Texas. The National Day Of Outrage, which took place in at least 30 separate locations sprinkled across the United States at roughly the same time, invited participants to wear all-black to stand in solidarity with the growing number of Black women who have suffered police violence.
It was Jefferson’s death on Oct. 12, when Fort Worth Police Officer Aaron Dean responded to a wellness check from a concerned neighbor only to shoot and kill the 28-year-old Black woman in front of her 8-year-old nephew. Jefferson’s family and the family of Botham Jean, who was killed by a cop in his own home last year in Dallas, joined National Day Of Outrage organizers — Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Mysonne Linen and Angelo Pinto, all members of UNTIL FREEDOM, a social justice organization — in New York City Monday along with city residents and local officials to participate in the protest.
“Botham Jean and Atatiana Jefferson were both doing the right thing and were shot dead in their homes,” Mallory reportedly told a crowd of people participating in the National Day of Outrage in New York City on Monday. “Atatiana Jefferson’s story broke my heart, what would’ve happened if her nephew stood up?! He will forever be traumatized.”
Amber Carr, Jefferson’s sister said she was in pain over Atatiana’s death and said things will never be the same for her and her family.
It was unclear exactly how many cities were participating in the National Day of Outrage, but civil rights attorney S. Lee Merritt, who represents the families of Jean and Jefferson, tweeted out a list of 35 places.
UNTIL FREEDOM, the social justice group that organized the collective protest, that organized the National Day of Outrage, announced its plans for the demonstration on Thursday after Jefferson’s funeral in Dallas.
Though Jefferson is just one of the most recent examples of deadly police violence against Black women, she is far from the only victim. Names like Sandra Bland, Korryn Gaines, Charleena Lyles and Pamela Turner are just a few of the growing list of Black women who met their untimely demises at the trigger-happy hands of police officers who ignored their training for de-escalating a situation and resorted to lethal force.
Scroll down to see some photos and videos of people from across the country coming together for a National Day of Outrage over police violence against Black women.
