Inaugural Event · October 2027
The Inaugural KOYA Walkathon
In October 2027, we take our first steps together, in memory of the young men we have lost, and in defense of every young man still with us. They can no longer walk, laugh, or step into the future they deserved. So we will walk for them. We will be their legs, their voices, and speak their futures into existence by refusing to forget their names.
Inaugural Date
October 2027. The exact date, route, and start time will be released to registered participants and coalition members first.
Location
Tallahassee, Florida, with satellite walks encouraged in partner cities across the country.
Who Can Join
Open to all ages. Families, mentors, students, faith communities, fraternities, sororities, and civic partners are welcome.
Why We Walk
The KOYA Walkathon is more than a fundraiser. It is a public vow. Each step is a statement that these young men were somebody’s son, brother, student, and friend, and that their lives will not be reduced to a headline or a hashtag.
- •We walk to be their legs.
- •We walk to be their voices.
- •We walk to speak their futures into existence.
- •We walk so no family walks this road alone again.
In Memoriam · Who We Walk For
We say their names. We carry their steps.
Drawn from the AELF Strategic Board Briefing, Landmark Cases 2006–2026. This partial record is representative, not exhaustive. Each name is a life, a family, and a future we refuse to let the world forget.
Nov 25, 2006
Sean Bell
23 · Groom
Queens, NY
50 rounds fired into his vehicle on his wedding morning.
Jan 1, 2009
Oscar Grant III
22 · New father
Oakland, CA
Shot in the back while pinned face-down on a BART platform.
Feb 26, 2012
Trayvon Martin
17 · High school student
Sanford, FL
Unarmed teen shot walking home with candy and a drink.
July 17, 2014
Eric Garner
43 · Father of six
Staten Island, NY
He said, “I can’t breathe.” He died from a prohibited chokehold.
Aug 9, 2014
Michael Brown Jr.
18 · Recent graduate
Ferguson, MO
Street confrontation shooting that sparked the Ferguson Uprisings.
Oct 20, 2014
Laquan McDonald
17 · Student
Chicago, IL
Shot 16 times while walking away from officers.
Nov 22, 2014
Tamir Rice
12 · Middle-school student
Cleveland, OH
A child with a toy shot within seconds of officer arrival at a park.
Apr 4, 2015
Walter Scott
50 · Coast Guard veteran
North Charleston, SC
Shot in the back while fleeing a traffic stop.
Apr 12, 2015
Freddie Gray
25 · Neighborhood resident
Baltimore, MD
Fatal spinal-cord injury sustained unsecured in a police transport van.
June 17, 2015
Mother Emanuel Nine
Ages 26–87 · Parishioners & pastors
Charleston, SC
Nine Black parishioners murdered during Bible study.
July 6, 2016
Philando Castile
32 · School cafeteria supervisor
Falcon Heights, MN
Shot after calmly disclosing a licensed firearm during a traffic stop.
Mar 18, 2018
Stephon Clark
22 · Father of two
Sacramento, CA
Shot eight times in his grandparents’ backyard.
Sept 6, 2018
Botham Jean
26 · PwC accountant
Dallas, TX
Shot in his own apartment by an off-duty officer.
Feb 23, 2020
Ahmaud Arbery
25 · Former football player
Satilla Shores, GA
Cornered and shot while jogging by three local residents.
Mar 13, 2020
Breonna Taylor
26 · ER medical technician
Louisville, KY
Killed in her home during a midnight “no-knock” warrant.
May 25, 2020
George Floyd
46 · Father & community member
Minneapolis, MN
Died after over nine minutes of knee compression to his neck.
Apr 11, 2021
Daunte Wright
20 · New father
Brooklyn Center, MN
Shot during a traffic-stop struggle when an officer claimed to confuse a firearm for a Taser.
May 14, 2022
Buffalo Market Ten
Ages 32–86 · Shoppers & workers
Buffalo, NY
Ten Black shoppers murdered by a white supremacist livestreaming the attack.
July 2024
Sonya Massey
36 · Mother, called 911 for help
Springfield, IL
Shot in her own kitchen moments after calling 911 for assistance.
2024 / 2025
Jerard Jackson
Young Black man · Festival attendee
Michigan
Body discovered hanging after a major music festival; ruling contested.
2024 / 2025
Tonea Jackson
Young Black man · Community member
Miami, FL
Found hanging in a municipal park after local Juneteenth events.
2024 / 2025
Juanita Nzita
Young community member
Location under review
Found hanged outside a church facility; case under independent review.
April 2025
Mario Kaiser Jr.
Young Black male
North Carolina
Discovered with a noose around his neck; family disputes local handling.
June 2025
Earl Smith
Young Black male
Location under review
Public hanging ruled a suicide within hours of discovery.
Sept 2025
Trey Reed
20 · Delta State University student
Cleveland, MS
Student found hanging near campus tennis courts.
July 2026
Nolan Wells
18 · Student-athlete
Horn Island, MS
Student-athlete found dead in water after a group outing.
July 2026
Kadir Skinner
19
Wilmington, DE
Fatally shot in the back by police; released body-camera footage complicated the department's account.
July 2026
Lasiah Palmer
15 · Incoming high school freshman
Chicago, IL (West Garfield Park)
Found shot to death on the back porch of a home on Jackson Boulevard.
July 2026
Daryl Martinez Lowry
13
South Carolina
Allegedly stabbed and drowned near his foster home; two teens arrested.
July 2026
Unnamed teen
Teen
Austin, TX
Unarmed teen fatally shot by Austin police at a city park.
July 2026
Unnamed 14-year-old
14
Charlotte, NC
Shot and killed in northwest Charlotte; three teens charged.
Aug 24, 2019
Elijah McClain
23 · Massage therapist, violinist
Aurora, CO
Stopped while walking home, restrained in a carotid hold, and injected with ketamine. He died days later.
Mar 3, 2020
Manuel Ellis
33 · Musician, father
Tacoma, WA
Died in police custody after saying, “I can’t breathe.”
June 12, 2020
Rayshard Brooks
27 · Father of four
Atlanta, GA
Shot in the back in a Wendy’s parking lot after a sobriety stop.
Oct 3, 2020
Jonathan Price
31 · Community mentor
Wolfe City, TX
Shot by an officer while trying to break up a domestic dispute.
Dec 4, 2020
Casey Goodson Jr.
23 · Grandson bringing home sandwiches
Columbus, OH
Shot in the back entering his grandmother’s home carrying Subway sandwiches.
Apr 21, 2021
Andrew Brown Jr.
42 · Father
Elizabeth City, NC
Shot in his vehicle by sheriff’s deputies serving a warrant.
Feb 2, 2022
Amir Locke
22 · Aspiring music producer
Minneapolis, MN
Killed within seconds of a no-knock raid while asleep on a relative’s couch.
Apr 4, 2022
Patrick Lyoya
26 · Congolese refugee
Grand Rapids, MI
Shot in the back of the head after a traffic-stop foot pursuit.
June 27, 2022
Jayland Walker
25 · DoorDash driver
Akron, OH
Struck by dozens of rounds fired by multiple officers after a chase.
Jan 10, 2023
Tyre Nichols
29 · Skateboarder, photographer, father
Memphis, TN
Beaten by officers during a traffic stop; he died three days later.
May 1, 2023
Jordan Neely
30 · Street performer
New York, NY (subway)
Placed in a fatal chokehold by another rider on an F train.
May 25, 2023
Cyrus Carmack-Belton
14 · Middle-school student
Columbia, SC
Shot in the back by a convenience-store owner after a false shoplifting accusation. Owner acquitted June 2026.
If a loved one’s name is missing from this wall and belongs on it, contact the KOYA Coalition. The Inaugural Walkathon will include a formal roll-call and moment of silence.
Become a Walkathon Sponsor
Partner with us to put your organization’s name behind a life-saving cause and the young men whose names we will call in October 2027.
Sponsor the Walkathon