• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
NewslettersBroadsheet

A grand jury decision leaves calls for ‘justice for Breonna Taylor’ unanswered

By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 24, 2020, 8:45 AM ET
A memorial to Breonna Taylor, placed in Jefferson Square Park, is photographed in downtown Louisville, Kentucky on September 23, 2020 as the city anticipates of the results of a grand jury inquiry into the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot by the Louisville Metro Police Department in her apartment earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff Dean / AFP) (Photo by JEFF DEAN/AFP via Getty Images)
A memorial to Breonna Taylor, placed in Jefferson Square Park, is photographed in downtown Louisville, Kentucky on September 23, 2020 as the city anticipates of the results of a grand jury inquiry into the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot by the Louisville Metro Police Department in her apartment earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff Dean / AFP) (Photo by JEFF DEAN/AFP via Getty Images)Getty Images

This is the web version of the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! A Walmart policy intended to promote women may have had unintended consequences, mourners honor RBG, and a grand jury declines to indict officers for killing Breonna Taylor. Have a reflective Wednesday.

– No justice, no peace. Over the past few months one of the most common rallying cries at protests against racism and police brutality has been: “Justice for Breonna Taylor!”

Those words again sprung to mind last night, as we learned that a grand jury declined to charge any of the officers involved in Taylor’s shooting with her death. Instead, the jurors indicted former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison with “wanton endangerment.” Hankison—the only officer to lose his job over the raid where Taylor was killed—fired ten bullets into the shade-covered windows and glass door of her apartment (some of which traveled into the next door apartment of a pregnant woman, her husband, and their 5-year-old. None were injured).

According to the FBI crime lab, the bullet that killed Taylor—who was struck six times—was fired by Detective Myles Cosgrove. (She was also shot by Sargent Jonathan Mattingly.) The grand jury ruled that the officers’ use of force was justified because Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot first; Walker says he mistook the police for intruders.

As anyone who has been following the story knows, Walker has disputed some aspects of the police version of events. What’s more, conflicting reports from witnesses and an absence of body camera footage (the police involved in the raid were not wearing the devices) has blurred some important facts about exactly what happened the night of March 13. (I strongly recommend the two-part episode of the New York Times’ The Daily podcast for a deeper dive into the facts on the ground.)

While many legal experts had been predicting this outcome, it didn’t stop people from taking to the streets to express their sadness and anger. Americans raised their voices in protest in Louisville (where two officers were shot), New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, and many, many other cities and towns last night.

Their agony is not surprising. Do any of us want to live in society where it’s legal for the police to enter the home of an unarmed woman accused of no crime in the middle of the night, shoot her six times, and face no consequences?

The grand jury may have followed the guidelines set out by the law. But the beauty of laws is that they can be changed. And until we make it clear that we will not accept that what happened in Taylor’s home was, as Mattingly has described it “legal, moral and ethical,” we know it could happen again.

This is not justice for Breonna Taylor.

Kristen Bellstrom
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com
@kayelbee

Today’s Broadsheet was curated by Emma Hinchliffe. 

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Retail ranks. A decade ago, Walmart turned its attention to helping women rise through its executive ranks. But Black professionals and managers at the company say that that singular focus led the retailer to fall behind on promoting Black talent, as mostly white women benefitted. Bloomberg

- May her memory be a revolution. Services laying to rest Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg began yesterday with a small ceremony in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court. Mourners, former clerks, lawmakers, and Ginsburg's fellow justices all paid their respects. New York Times

- Opposition op-ed. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya ran as the opposition candidate in Belarus, igniting nationwide protests when Belarusians suspected the true results of the race were suppressed. In this piece, Tikhanovskaya examines her rise from "stay-at-home mom" to leader of a revolution. New York Times

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Former Lyft VP of talent acquisition and inclusion Nilka Thomas, who left to become chief people officer at SeatGeek, is returning to the ride-sharing company as chief people officer. The Washington Post promoted deputy director of strategic initiatives Elite Truong to director of strategic initiatives. Publicis Sapient promoted Kameshwari Rao to global chief people officer. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Executive order. President Trump said yesterday, while speaking to Catholic leaders, that he would sign a "Born Alive" executive order. The announcement is seen as an appeal to the religious right, building off of concern about "abortions even after children are born." Bloomberg

- Grand slam. Glamour has an ace cover star this month: Billie Jean King. The tennis legend reflects on her role fighting for equal pay in sports over the decades, and she has an important reason why: "Money helps women have power." Glamour

- Investigative interviews. The Mexican government is interviewing women over the allegations that women detained in the U.S. were subjected to hysterectomies against their will. "If confirmed, this is a major issue and not only punishable but also other measures would be taken," said Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. CNN

ON MY RADAR

Brené Brown inks exclusive Spotify podcast deal Variety

As a crucial election looms, an iconic TV anchor reinvents herself Vogue

'He never quit’: Nick Cordero’s widow Amanda Kloots on grief, God and perseverance New York Times

PARTING WORDS

"Hers is a bold vision for philanthropy—and we’ll be feeling her impact for a long time."

-Melinda Gates, writing about MacKenzie Scott for the Time 100

About the Authors
Kristen Bellstrom
By Kristen Bellstrom
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

Lean In’s new 25-year-old CEO has a plan to close the AI gender gap
NewslettersMPW Daily
Lean In’s new 25-year-old CEO has a plan to close the AI gender gap
By Emma HinchliffeApril 1, 2026
7 hours ago
How AI will make your Shake Shack order even faster
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How AI will make your Shake Shack order even faster
By John KellApril 1, 2026
8 hours ago
Elon Musk’s coterie of companies are getting more and more pushback from Democrats
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Elon Musk’s coterie of companies are getting more and more pushback from Democrats
By Jessica MathewsApril 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Over the shoulder view of young woman managing finance and investment, analyzing stock market data on laptop at desk. Stock exchange, banking, finance, investment, financial trading concept. Smart banking with technology
NewslettersCFO Daily
More people are using AI to manage their money— but they won’t let it make decisions alone
By Sheryl EstradaApril 1, 2026
14 hours ago
Inside Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s turnaround playbook—from bankruptcy to most profitable U.S. airline
NewslettersCEO Daily
Inside Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s turnaround playbook—from bankruptcy to most profitable U.S. airline
By Alyson ShontellApril 1, 2026
14 hours ago
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
NewslettersFortune Tech
Salesforce reinvents Slack for the AI age, and takes aim at Microsoft’s Copilot
By Alexei OreskovicApril 1, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
Personal Finance
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Carney lays down the gauntlet: 'It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual'
C-Suite
Mark Carney lays down the gauntlet: 'It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.