1. Erica Garner Dies Activist and daughter of Eric Garner, Erica Garner, died early this morning at the age of 27. Four months ago, Erica Garner suffered her first heart attack after giving birth to her son. She then found out that she had heart complications. According to Garner’s mother, it was an asthma attack that spurred Erica Garner’s second and final heart attack.

2. Activism

Erica Garner turned to activism after her father, Eric Garner (43), was killed by police officer Daniel Pantaleo’s chokehold. Her mission was, “to show the world that we can stand together as one people,” according to a blog post that Garner wrote for HuffPost in 2015. Garner wanted young people in the Black community to understand that you can challenge a “corrupt system without being a…thug.” Upon her father’s 2014 murder, Garner joined in on the protests. From Eric Garner’s murder came the Black Lives Matter movement which embraced Eric Garner’s dying words, “I can’t breathe.” Erica Garner then began to advocate for police accountability. Despite her efforts and the efforts of fellow protesters, Pantaleo was not indicted for murdering Garner. Garner was also known in the realm of politics. She campaigned for former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in 2016. She also called upon former president Barack Obama, demanding to know why trigger-happy police officers who were guilty of misconduct and murder were not punished.

3. Heart Complications

Following her first heart attack, Garner was informed that she had heart complications. Her pregnancy with her son — who is named after Eric Garner — added too much stress to her heart which was already enlarged. Her heart attack ultimately led to a medicine-induced coma. While in a comatose state, she was pronounced brain-dead just a few days ago. Erica Garner ultimately died on 12/30/17 while in the hospital. Garner, who was an activist and a writer, sought justice for her father and the Black community, sadly, to no avail. She leaves behind her mother, husband, and two young children. Rest in power, Erica Garner.]]>

About Post Author