Natasha “Tony” McDade

May 27, 2020 - Tallahassee, Florida

NATASHA “TONY” McDADE’s life was not well-documented. McDade was a Black transgender man. He was a former professional boxer with the Quincy Fighting Tigers gym. His death initially received less attention than did other recent deaths of Black people such as George Floyd and Amaud Arbery. More recently, Black LGBTQ advocates have spoken out about McDade’s death, pointing out that Black trans folx and nonbinary people, as well as Black women, are often left out of the conversation about police murders. Tony was 38. A fund to support McDade’s family in covering funeral and burial expenses, as well as for mental health and grief counseling, was originally set a $25,000. So far, more than 7300 donors have contributed a total of more than $200,000.

George Floyd, Jr.

May 25, 2020 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

GEORGE PERRY FLOYD JR. was born in Fayetteville, N.C. and grew up in Houston Texas. The 6’7” “gentle giant” had been a body builder and a star football and basketball player in high school. He went on to play college basketball in Florida and joined a club team known as “To God Be The Glory” Sports. He moved from Houston to Minnesota several years ago for a fresh start and to be near family, in particular, an aunt, Angela Harrelson. There, he worked as a club bouncer and truck driver. His family, who knew him as “Perry Jr.”, said he had a gift for making people feel welcome. His brother Philonise called him a “general”, someone who always had a line of friends behind him. His partner, Courtney Ross said she not only loved him but admired him. “He taught me how to be a better person.” Another friend said: “George would have given the shirt off of his back” for anyone. George leaves behind his partner and three children, two adults and one six-year old daughter, Gianna. He was 46 years old. His death in police custody has led to weeks of protests in the US and across the world, decrying police brutality and systemic oppression of Black (and Brown) people.

Maurice Gordon

May 23, 2020 - Bass River Township, New Jersey

MAURICE GORDON was described as “joyful and funny,”with a wide smile and a “contagious” laugh. He was raised in Spanish Town, Jamaica and came to the U.S. at age 19. Maurice was studying chemistry at Dutchess Community College in New York. He also worked in food delivery. He said that he liked his job because it gave him a chance to meet and chat with new people. Growing up, he sang in the church choir, worked hard to get good grades and was close with his younger sister, Yanique. He called his mother frequently to “check in” and tell her about his life. He loved the singer Ariana Grande. He was 28. Gordon was unarmed when he was killed by a state trooper on the Garden State Parkway in NJ. The circumstances of his death are under investigation.

Robert Johnson, Jr.

May 16, 2020 - Essex, Maryland

The life of ROBERT JOHNSON JR. was not well-documented. An Orioles fan, Johnson was an expectant father. His friends and family said they knew that he would be a “fun dad” and that he lived by the motto of “family first.” On the night he died, he was attending a birthday celebration for his 15 year-old cousin, with family and friends, in the parking lot of an apartment complex. He was 29. The details of his shooting death, following an argument in the parking lot over a “fender bender”, to which police were called in, are in dispute. Family on the scene said that Robert exited his car with his hands up and dropped a gun, not posing a threat to the police officers on the scene. Another family member was shot by stray police bullets and survived. The officer who shot Johnson is on administrative leave and the incident remains under investigation.

McHale Rose

May 7, 2020 - Indianapolis, Indiana

The life of McHALE ROSE was not well-documented. He was described by a former teacher as “a wonderful young man, who was always respectful.” She went on to say that he “had an infectious smile and always had nice things to say.” Information about his death in a confrontation with police was far more widely reported than information about his life. He was 19. Within less than twenty-four hours of the time that Rose was killed, two other individuals died at the hands of the Indianapolis Police Force. Rallies began in Indianapolis in late May with thousands of demonstrators protesting the deaths of many Black men and women, including Rose, at the hands of the police. McHale’s mother, Bobbi Rose, was among the protestors. There are calls for a federal investigation of the Indianapolis Police Force as well as a demand for police to wear body cameras.

Dreasjon (Sean) Reed

May 6, 2020 - Indianapolis, Indiana

DREASJON SEAN REED, known as “Dre”, was described as a kind and joyful son, sibling, colleague and friend. He had served nine months as an active-duty airman First Class and a student in the Air Force security forces field, stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Those who loved Dreasjon said he had a bright future. Dre’s mother said “He loved to laugh and joke and play games; he was always the entertainer. If you needed, my son would make sure you got it. He sometimes did silly things and made mistakes, he was young, barely a man.” He was 21. Reed's death, during a chase by Indianapolis police, prompted multiple demonstrations, with protesters demanding transparency and police reforms. The city responded by announcing a new police use-of-force policy, a civilian review board and body cameras.

Manuel “Manny” Ellis

May 3, 2020 - Tacoma, Washington

MANUEL “MANNY” ELLIS was a talented musician who enjoyed playing drums at his local church. He was a father of two, an 11-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter. His sister, Monet Mixon, said he was also a father figure to his nephews, coaching them on life-skills like how handle themselves to keep safe in a world of racial injustices. Brian Giordano, a close friend, said of Mr. Ellis, “He was always uplifting. He was always on the up-and-up about taking care of people.” His sister said that he was taught to be respectful, especially to figures in authority, like law enforcement. Manny had struggled with addiction and was getting his life back together, living in a clean-and-sober halfway house. He recently told his mother that he wanted to “raise his kids, be around in their lives and do the right thing.” He was 33. There are conflicting reports of the interaction that led to his death while in police custody. Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, announced that an independent investigation will be conducted into Ellis’ death.

Steven DeMarco Taylor

April 20, 2020 - San Leandro, CA

The life of STEVEN DeMARCO TAYLOR was not well-documented. He was raised, along with his two brothers, by his grandmother. Steven was diagnosed with ADHD in his youth. His grandmother said that he “had many friends and hung out with so many people. He loved to dance and was in a singing group. He always kept you laughing." Steven was the father of three. It is reported that at the time of his death he did not have a permanent address and was in a mental health crisis. He was 33 years old. Taylor was holding a metal baseball bat when was shot by police at a Walmart store. He was in the throws of a manic episode and did not respond to being tasered. The California State Attorney General has been urged to investigate Taylor’s shooting because the police had used “force without proper justification,” particularly in the case of evident mental illness.

Breonna Taylor

March 12, 2020 - Louisville, Kentucky

BREONNA TAYLOR was the first grandchild in the family, so was known as “the baby,” even after her sister was born, 6 years later. Breonna and her sister were very close, despite the age difference. She was godmother to her best friend’s child. Breonna is remembered by those close to her as someone who liked the “hands-on” approach to helping people. This was clear in her roles as both an EMT and an Emergency Room technician, working to save lives at two different hospitals. She died, during a “no-knock” raid by plainclothes officers at the wrong address. Breonna was 26. The officers were not wearing body cameras. Her name has been among those honored in the weeks of protest following the death of George Floyd, decrying police brutality and systemic oppression of Black (and Brown) people. Her death has amplified the conversation about banning “no-knock” raids.

Ahmaud Arbery

Feb. 23, 2020 - Brunswick, GA

AHMAUD ARBERY was the youngest of 3 children. He was a high school linebacker, and although slender in build, he was fast and had a big heart. He struggled after high school, but was planning to become an electrician like his uncles. While living at home, he worked at his father’s car wash and landscaping businesses. He is remembered by those who knew him as someone who had a talent for raising the spirits of those around him. He was always trying to make people smile. He was 25 at the time of his death while jogging. One of three men charged in his killing was a retired police officer. Despite numerous years on the force, he had not completed the mandatory coursework required to keep his “power to arrest” including de-escalation tactics. His record states many reasons why he was unable to complete certain mandatory courses; however, he did complete other trainings on understanding terrorism, including Islamic terrorism.

Kerry Michael Bounsom

Feb. 16, 2020 - Long Beach California

KERRY MICHAEL BOUNSOM’s life was not well-documented. His family described him as kind, generous and loving. He was a son, a brother and a father, loved by many. He adored his young daughter. He was his daughter’s hero and he meant everything to her. One evening, Kerry was riding a bicycle in Long Beach, California when police officers attempted to stop him for an unspecified Vehicle Code violation. After he fled on foot, officers deployed a taser. Then, believing that he had a weapon in his possession, officers opened fire, killing him. He was 33. His death is under investigation. It was the second police-involved shooting in Long Beach in a four day period.

Samuel David Mallard

January 17, 2020 - Powder Springs, Georgia

The life of SAMUEL DAVID MALLARD was not well-documented. He was a happy child who was loved by his family. He was raised in the church and played Little League baseball. Samuel graduated high school the year before he was killed. He was 19 years old. Mallard was shot by police during an encounter in which they attempted to serve him a warrant for his arrest. The officers "issued a verbal command" that he “did not cooperate” with and he attempted to flee in a car. He was subsequently shot by bullets from all four police officers. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that "a gun was found in Mallard’s vehicle," although there were no reports that the gun ever posed a threat to the lives of the officers involved.

The Eighth Principle

Learn about how Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation adopted an 8th Principle at our annual meeting on Sunday, June 28, 2020 - committing our members to work to dismantle racism.