Black History Month: Lessons from My Family #3

Jasmine Groves holding a photo of her mother, Kim Groves

My cousin Kim Groves was a beloved mom, daughter, sister and so much more. She was someone who cared about the people in her neighborhood. In 1994 she filed a complaint against a police officer who brutally beat a teenager in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Tragically, Kim paid the ultimate price for her courage. After the notoriously violent officer learned of her complaint, he ordered one of his minions to shoot my cousin. Kim's neighborhood advocacy and death sparked a chain of events that led to the end of a Federal investigation into the despicable acts of the corrupt police officer who was being surveilled for other crimes like extortion, drug dealing and murderer. Ironically, the officer was someone who Kim knew from high school.

I remember the packed church on the day of Kim's funeral. I remember the feelings of loss on the faces of her 3 children, other grieving family members and friends she left behind. Today, her Daughter Jasmine follows in her footsteps as a community advocate against police brutality. During this Black History Month and always, I remember Kim Groves and say her name in honor of her legacy and sacrifice for justice.