On April 22, Daunte Wright’s family and friends organized a funeral and memorial service for the 20-year-old who lost his life in a police shooting nearly two weeks ago. Held at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the public service brought in hundreds of mourning visitors, both who knew the young Black man personally and those saddened by his killing. Speaking at the event were civil rights activists Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered an emotional and moving eulogy dedicated to Wright.
“You can’t go to church on Sunday and read this book that we call the Bible and not fight against oppression,” Sharpton said during his speech. “God is not on the side of the oppressor, God is on the side of the oppressed. For every Pharoah there was a Moses.”
Sharpton continued to discuss the activism witnessed in the city and added his own rallying cry, saying “They shouldn’t have done what they done. We gon’ stop Minneapolis today.”
Also in attendance was Ben Crump, who also spoke at Wright’s funeral. Prior to Sharpton’s eulogy, Crump acknowledged several families of Black men killed by police and racism, including: Oscar Grant, Philando Castile, Emmett Till and George Floyd. Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, also attended the funeral service to pay his respect to Wright’s grieving family, according to TMZ.
Wright’s parents were then invited on stage by Crump along with several other family members to discuss the young father and offer more insight into who he was. Described as the “life of the party” by his siblings, Wright will also be remembered as a dedicated father to his son.
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In a riveting performance art demonstration, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold played his instrument while an artist painted a live portrait of Wright. No stranger to racism and the unfair treatment of Black people, Harrold was involved in a December 2020 incident where his teenage son was accused of stealing a woman’s phone. Miya Ponsetto, better known as “SoHo Karen,” infamously tackled and wrestled with the teen without any evidence of wrongdoing.
Kim Potter, the officer who “mistakenly” shot Wright after confusing her taser and gun, was charged with manslaughter following the shooting and has since resigned.
We wish Wright’s family the best during this difficult process. No one should have to bury their 20-year-old child.
