Da’Vonne Rogers Called For Justice For Breonna Taylor Live On ‘Big Brother 22’
Da’Vonne Rogers seized the few seconds of live television she had during Big Brother 22 to call for justice for Breonna Taylor, the Louisville woman reportedly killed during a police raid. Her death has become part of a national rallying cry for those seeking to address systemic racism.
Da’Vonne appeared in Thursday night’s episode during the first live eviction of the 22nd season of the popular CBS reality show. As she entered the private booth to cast her vote for a contestant to be sent out of the house, Da’Vonne delivered a short message to her daughter watching at home and then used her platform to invoke the name of the slain 26-year-old.
“I love you Kadence,” she said, blowing kisses to her daughter, and then added, “Justice for Breonna Taylor.”
Many have called for the officers involved in the raid to face charges, though so far none have done so.
Though Da’Vonne had only seconds to deliver the message, it captured some immediate viral attention as many praised the Big Brother contestant for speaking up.
Tyler: good luck with your cookbook!
DaVonne: justice for Breonna Taylor!Without saying a lot, that said a lot about the state of thought in our country right now. #BB22 #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor
— Taco Vacation (@tacovacation) August 14, 2020
I know that’s right Davonne! Justice for Breonna Taylor!!! #bb22
— MTG. (@EmTeeGee_) August 14, 2020
Da’Vonne joins a number of others who have used their national spotlight to draw attention to the May incident. A number of athletes and celebrities have also made public calls for her alleged killers to face charges, and the Tampa Bay Rays even included her in a tweet on opening day of the coronavirus-shortened MLB season.
“Today is Opening Day, which means it’s a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor,” the team tweeted just before their first game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Prior to entering the Big Brother house, Da’Vonne had been vocal in drawing attention to other women of color killed during encounters with police officers. In early June, during the first full week of what would become nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, she took to Instagram to share a portrait of women allegedly killed by police that included the Louisville woman. The picture included the hashtag “#SayHerName,” which has become a rallying cry for those seeking to raise awareness of slain women of color.
She later shared another picture showing herself taking part in a protest holding a sign that read, “my Black is too bold to be silenced!!! Black Lives Matter.”
In the caption, she wrote about how the calls for justice tied closely with her own identity.
“I am a black woman
I am the mother of a beautiful black girl
I am the sister of 3 black men
I WILL NOT BE SILENCED”
