“We cannot remain silent,” Winfrey wrote in a statement accompanying the disclosure. “We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry out for justice. And that’s why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. The September issue honors her life and the lives of all the other black women whose lives have been taken. too soon”. “
Digital artist Alexis Franklin created the cover image.
“I am very happy to play a small role in this long-changing and world-changing narrative of racial injustice and police brutality,” Franklin told O magazine. The original photo is one taken by Breonna and It has been in the news many times. Looking at it, I see an innocence, simple but powerful. It was critical for me to retain that. ”
Taylor was shot eight times after Louisville, Kentucky, police officers broke down her apartment door while executing a nightly arrest warrant in a narcotics investigation on March 13. One of the three officers involved in his shooting was fired, but none of them have been fired. accused or arrested.
Winfrey’s last column advocates that readers “continue the fight” for Taylor. She lists several calls to action, including signing a Change.org petition to demand justice, call elected officials, donate to the Louisville Community Bond Fund, and use the hashtag #SayHerName on social media.
“We know how Breonna died. March 13. The Louisville police stormed her apartment in the middle of the night. No uniforms. No ‘This is the police!’ The terrifying Breonna and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, “Winfrey wrote in the column.
In recent months, celebrities like Winfrey have been using their platforms to carry on the conversation about Taylor’s death and to call for the arrest of the police officers behind her. The WNBA dedicated its season to Taylor and the Say Her Name movement.
This editorial decision comes at a crucial time for O magazine. Its parent company, Hearst Magazines, announced Wednesday that the magazine will become “more digitally focused.” The December issue of O will be their last monthly print issue. Instead, the company will focus more on sharing stories on its website.
“Or, The Oprah Magazine was released as a personal growth guide to help women live their best lives,” editor-in-chief Lucy Kaylin said in a statement. “As we embark on this next chapter, we will lean on times that are central to the brand’s DNA and deepen the connection with our loyal readers.”
The September issue comes out on August 11.
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