Kyrie Irving producing TV special focusing on Breonna Taylor and Black Lives Matter movement
Kyrie Irving is producing a TV special that will focus on the death of Breonna Taylor and the demand for action in response to her being shot and killed by several police officers in Louisville, Ky., in March.
The special is called "#SAYHERNAME: BREONNA TAYLOR" and will air Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on the PlayersTV digital and broadcast network.
The Brooklyn Nets superstar released an statement discussing the project and the message behind it.
"In a time when society is calling out police brutality, social injustices, and systemic racism, it is critical to magnify how these unjust behaviors and practices are directly impacting Black women. I stand for Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and the countless women whose names are never said but have shared the same unfortunate fate. I will continue to champion those who are working to enact change for and to empower Black, Native, Indigenous, Hispanic, and women of color. I am equally committed to creating platforms like the #SAYHERNAME: Breonna Taylor special, that provides support, solutions, and sustainable impact."
The broadcast is expected to include rapper Common, journalist Jemele Hill, Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). There will be specific calls to action, including calling elected officials and voter registration.
Taylor's death has become a focal point of nationwide protests regarding police brutality and racial inequality. The 26-year-old was shot eight times on March 13 by plainclothes officers who entered her apartment without knocking in search of narcotics. No drugs were found, and people began protesting and demanding that the officers involved be arrested as details of Taylor's death emerged.
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