Yolanda Carr is the mother of Atatiana Jefferson, who was killed by a Fort Worth, Texas police officer in October of 2019.
Atatiana was serving as the caregiver for Ms. Carr, who had been dealing with health complications. But now Ms. Carr has passed away, adding to the tragedy.
Shortly after Atatiana was killed, her father was admitted to the hospital for complications. He died from what some described as “a broken heart.”
Both of Atatiana’s parents had been struggling with her being killed, and now both are gone. Sadly, this happens more often than some may realize.
Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner who was killed by the NYPD, died at the age of 27 from a heart attack after her father’s death.
Venida Browder, the mother of Kalief Browder, who committed suicide after being wrongfully imprisoned and terrorized by authorities, also died not long after her son.
Black families, activists, and communities suffer as a result of the ongoing police violence and racism that affronts our communities. It’s bad enough that we are killed by the authorities and institutions that oppress us, but it’s even worse when you count our loved ones who are indirectly killed, too.
The family of Atatiana Jefferson and those like her deserve MORE than just a conviction and compensation - they deserve peace of mind. That’s something that’s priceless and with family members dying because of racism, we have no choice but to fight injustice with all we’ve got.