“It is tragic and heartbreaking that 17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor was murdered so gruesomely and possibly because he was gay. We extend our prayers to the Taylor family and hope our words and our actions help honor the memory of Ja’Quarius and keep his name in the light.
“The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law support calls for the FBI to aid the local investigation into the murder of Ja’Quarius Taylor given evidence suggesting that this was a potential hate crime.
“The dangers faced by young, Black, LGBTQ+ people are disturbing and becoming increasingly violent and fatal. With the increase in reported hate crimes since President Trump took office, we are deeply concerned that there is not a full accounting of the violence that members of our community have faced. It is critical that the FBI support Washington Parish law enforcement by providing the resources necessary to ensure a full and fair investigation.
“Over the past several years, we have seen one too many young, Black, LGBTQ+ people violently murdered, beaten, bullied, and even harassed to the point of suicide. We cannot grow numb to this reality or ignore what is continuing to happen. Members of the Black community are dying because of crimes inspired by hate and vitriol — from 15-year-old Nigel Shelby who died by suicide after being bullied for being both Black and gay, to the near fatal attack of Daniela Calderon Rivera, to the murder of Ja’Quarius.
“Out of fear of more retribution and abuse, many Black LGBTQ+ people do not report these crimes to law enforcement. Furthermore, our nation does not have data on intersectionality, so we should imagine the incidents of hate crimes against Black LGBTQ+ people are worse than reported. These startling statistics, and the Black people they represent, should inspire each of us to action--to demand full and complete investigations whenever we learn of victims of potential hate crimes and investments in programs and policies to mitigate the impact of racism and homophobia.
“The murder of Ja’Quarius Taylor demands immediate attention- the same level of attention devoted to our brother Trayvon. We’re in this together. Ja’Quarius deserves justice and his family deserves answers. Our community and our country deserve better.”
