After years of not using social media, Jennifer Lawrence joined Twitter to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT and unarmed Black woman, who was killed by three Louisville, Kentucky police officers on March 13. In Lawrence’s tweet, which was posted on Wednesday, June 16, the Hunger Games actress called attention to the murder of Taylor and demanded that the three officers who killed her, Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankins, be charged as criminals.
“For three months since her murder, Breonna Taylor’s family, the people of Louisville, Americans across the country, and many around the world have called out for justice,” wrote Lawrence, who is from the area around Louisville, where Taylor was killed.
She continued, “And yet, those calls have gone unanswered. No arrests have been made, the officers responsible for her death remain employed by the LMPD, and disturbingly, the LMPD’s own investigation report was woefully inaccurate. As a Louisivillian, as a human being, I cannot be silent.”
The Oscar winner went on to urge Attorney General Daniel Cameron to “take immediate action” and hold Taylor’s killer’s “accountable.” “Mr. Cameron, the longer you wait to bring criminal charges against officers Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison, the more trust erodes,” Lawrence wrote. “I urge you to commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers, and address the LMPD’s insufficient response to Breonna Taylor’s murder. We must not allow the erasure of Black women to continue in America.”
Along with her letter to the Attorney General, Lawrence also tweeted a video explaining how the United States prison system disproportionately affects Black Americans. “Nearly 1 in 4 Black men in America will be locked up at some point in their life. In this short video, @omarepps & @desmondmeade explain how corruption has broken our criminal justice system—& what we can do to fix it,” she tweeted.
In early June, Lawrence, whose Twitter handle is @JLawrence_RepUs, admitted to having private social media accounts in a Facebook post supporting Black Lives Matter. In the post, she vowed to no longer remain silent on her social media and demand justice for Taylor, George Floyd and other Black people who have been affected by systemic racism and violence by the the U.S. criminal justice system.
“Hi guys, it’s been a while. But now is not the time to be silent,” she wrote. “I pledge to listen, learn, donate, and vote. I promise to do my part today and every day. I hope you will join me in supporting these organizations, but this is just the start. Black Lives Matter. @colorofchange @minnesotafreedomfund @naacplegaldefensefund #georgefloydmemorialfund #justiceforbreonnataylor”