The story of Breonna Taylor’s life is finally being told.
On Monday, Vanity Fair shared its new September issue cover, featuring a painting by Amy Sherald of Taylor, who was killed by police in March.
The new issue, guest-edited by Between the World and Me author Ta-Nehisi Coates, is “dedicated to art, activism and power in 21st-century America.”
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For the issue’s centrepiece, Coates retells the the tragic story of Taylor’s life and death through the eyes and the voice of her mother Tamika Palmer.
“Shortly after midnight March 13, strangers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her own home. The strangers claimed to be investigating a drug case. The strangers found no drugs in Breonna Taylor’s home. The strangers left their incident report almost totally blank,” Coates writes, introducing the story.
Talking about the waves of protest and support she has received since her daughter’s death, Palmer says, “I just can’t believe it. I felt like with the whole pandemic, Breonna would be forgotten, and we would just get swept under the rug.”
She adds, “And how do I feel then? Like, my God, somebody heard me. Like I finally caught my breath. That’s how I feel. Like I finally caught my breath.”
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The issue also features an interview with Sherald, who also painted Michelle Obama’s official portrait, on the making of her portrait of Taylor for the cover.
“She sees you seeing her. The hand on the hip is not passive, her gaze is not passive. She looks strong!” Sherald says, describing the image of Taylor in her painting. “I wanted this image to stand as a piece of inspiration to keep fighting for justice for her. When I look at the dress, it kind of reminds me of Lady Justice.”
The new issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands Sept. 1.
