Vigil for Breonna Taylor held at Palmer Courthouse

PALMER — A small group of Valley residents gathered on the steps of the Palmer Courthouse Wednesday evening for a candlelight vigil hours after news spread that a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, did not charge any of the three Louisville police officers who served a warrant on the night of March 13 when Breonna Taylor died.

The Louisville Grand Jury did charge Brett Haksinson with wanton endangerment on Wednesday, but did not charge Hakinson, Myles Cosgrove or Jonathan Mattingly with the murder of Breonna Taylor. Exactly 65 years to the day that Roy Bryant and John William Milam were found not guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi, outcry over the decision not to charge any of the three Louisville Police Department officers with murder has reached across the United States and led to the gathering in Palmer on Wednesday.

“With Breonna Taylor, they charged that one police officer for the bullets that didn’t hit her, wanton endangerment. She was ‘wantonly endangered,’ she was murdered and this is not okay,” said Lynalice Bandy. “Things like this and things like the march, it’s important especially in our community.”

For the second time in a week, the Palmer Courthouse has been the location where Valley residents have gathered to grieve after events drawing attention to the court system itself. On Wednesday, a dozen citizens shared their fears and their concerns with the effects of racism on the world around them for nearly an hour, holding candles while they shared their stories. After speaking the names of victims of police brutality such as Elijah McClain, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, the participants felt hopeful for the future. The vigil for Breonna Taylor was not widely advertised, and those in attendance left nothing but candle wax on the courthouse steps.

“I’ve experienced racism in a lot of different ways. It’s frustrating and I think sad to see how broken the world is,” said Jamesha Russell. “It just shows that there’s hope. We are people who believe that there’s still hope for everybody. I don’t think it’s just community, I think its hope and not having any fear to stand up for what you believe in and I think that that’s the most important thing that you can take from tonight is don’t be afraid to stick up for something you believe in if you know that it’s truly right.”

After the news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died last Friday, vigils were held at courthouses all across the United States, including gatherings in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Palmer. Reverence for the work Ginsberg did as a champion for civil rights and the second female supreme court justice combined with a concern over the possible nomination of a new supreme court justice before the Nov. 3 election sparked demonstrations at courthouse s nationwide.

“We have to fight,” said Robin Moffet. “I don’t know how to do that in Palmer Alaska. I have no idea what to do other than raising our boys and our little girl to also fight.”

Those who gathered shared a wish for reform of court and prison systems in the United States. Some employees at the Palmer Courthouse reappeared in the parking lot for the vigil on Wednesday evening, expressing displeasure at the numbers-driven attitude of law enforcement officers. Several attendees expressed their hope for reform of the judicial system in its entirety.

“It’s not okay and I’m done being quiet. I’m done being afraid to speak out,” said Bandy. “Doing the work works. We just have to keep going.”

Some women brought their children, others left theirs at home. Aurora Till and Myah Alston-Robertson both helped to organize the vigil for victims of racist police brutality in June that brought thousands of people to the streets of Palmer, peacefully. Alston-Robertson said that she grows weary of checking casual racism around her and was disappointed to see the continued existence of double-standards for white criminals. Through the turbulent year of 2020, Alston-Robertson said that she has taken time to educate family members, friends and coworkers about the effects of systemic racism and does so multiple times a week.

“Racism still does exist. There still are people who hate people of color, people who hate indigenous people,” said Alston-Robertson. “This is native land, you can’t sit here and make those comments.”

The group remained small, as participants did not hope for a large showing on such short notice. Those who left the vigil for Breonna Taylor said that they felt hopeful and motivated to continue combating racism where they can.

“It’s devastating that we live in an America where something like that is even possible where she could be laying in her bed sleeping and be gunned down,” said Till. “It’s awful. I think all of them are kind of shocking but Breonna Taylor, it’s just so insane how something like that can happen.”