#BirthdayForBreonna

Campaign Objectives

#BirthdayForBreonna was a 2020 digital campaign started by film and culture critic Cate Young to bring attention to the case of Breonna Taylor, a 27 year old black woman who was shot and killed in her home by police.

Amidst the nationwide and later global protests in support of George Floyd—a black man who was killed by police the week before— there was a sense that Breonna’s case had fallen out of the news cycle because black women’s stories of state violence are not given equal weight in the media.

In an effort to combat this documented phenomenon, Cate assembled a list of action items in a mobile website that could help make a material difference in Taylor’s case.

The basic mechanics of the campaign included two items: mail birthday cards to the Attorney General of Kentucky requesting that the officers who killed Breonna Taylor be charged in her death, and

Social Impact

The campaign existed almost entirely on social media.

Analytics

Participation

Celebrity Involvement

By the third day, many celebrities chose to participate in the campaign, increasing its virality and reach. Some of the celebrities who engaged with the campaign include Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Tracee Ellis Ross, Megan Thee Stallion and Neko Case.

Press Coverage

After actress Busy Phillips began spreading the campaign on her social media channels, it began to garner press attention. The campaign was covered by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, Inside Edition, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Billboard among others.