Who is TaKiya Young?
The body camera video of the fatal police shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant mother in a Columbus, Ohio suburb, has raised concerns. The incident began with an allegation of shoplifting and escalated when an officer fired a bullet through Young’s windshield. The released video shows Young in her parked car as officers order her to exit. Instead of moving out of the way, a second officer draws his firearm and steps in front of the car, which goes against department policy. Young asks, “Are you going to shoot me?” seconds before she turns the wheel, causing the car to inch toward the officer, who then shoots through the windshield ending the life of the young woman and her unborn child.
What is Every 28 Hours Plays?
In 2012 a study found that every 28 hours a black person was extrajudicially killed by vigilante, security guard, or the police in the United States. This statistic was immediately contested and the country is still embroiled with addressing a problem it struggles to acknowledge. Currently produced by Claudia Alick and CALLING UP JUSTICE, The Every 28 Hours Plays project was originally developed with The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The One-Minute Play Festival with over one-hundred artistic collaborators across the country. Collaborators include Tony award-winning artists, activists, family members directly affected by police violence, politicians, cultural organizers, and law enforcement. The project consists of over seventy short plays that reflect the current civil rights movement, and tools to help your community address these issues, grow empathy, and become healthier. Hundreds of productions have been produced over the country. These short plays can be presented to a large group or in an intimate group setting to explore the issues. These plays are available to use for no cost.
Suggested Every 28 Hours Plays
1. Un-divine Sisterhood, by Dominique Morisseau
2. Stay Out Dem Streets, by Basmin Red Dear
3. Any mother, Any City, by Darius Stubbs
4. For Aiyana Stanley Jones by Nambi E. Kelley
5. Audacity by Kirsten Greenridge
6. Dinosaurs by Kelley Weber
7. Another Mother, by Jacqueline E. Lawton
8. Hooded Tears by Migdalia Cruz
9. Unknown Thousands by Nikkole Salter
Read More about TaKiya Young
21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young killed by Franklin County, Ohio, police; community demands justice
Ohio police release video of fatal police shooting of pregnant 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young