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Racial Justice Activist Erica Garner, Daughter of Eric Garner, Dies at Age 27
By Staff Writers | Common Dreams
Common Dreams
Sunday, Dec 31, 2017

"She walked with a fierce dignity in this world and would not allow the powerful to get by with only words when the problems we face demand action."

Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, leads a march of people protesting the Staten Island, New York grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer involved in the chokehold death of Eric Garner in July, on December 11, 2014. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

The official Twitter account of Erica Garner—the 27-year-old civil rights activist and daughter of Eric Garner—confirmed that she passed away Saturday after being hospitalized following a heart attack.

The account is reportedly being operated by one of Erica's co-workers, who has posted numerous updates about her condition as well as shared messages of support for her family and hope that she would recover. The confirmation of Erica's death was followed by another message:

"She was a warrior, she was a fighter, and we didn't pull the plug on her," Esaw Snipes, Erica's mother, told the New York Daily News. "She left on her own terms."

Erica, a mother of two, sought to raise awareness about police brutality following the death of her father, Eric Garner, who was put into a fatal chokehold by a New York City police officer on Staten Island in 2014. The incident was captured in a video that was widely circulated and contributed to the national discussion about police violence toward people of color. Her father's last words, "I can't breathe," have become a rallying cry for the racial justice movement.

News of Erica's passing provoked a flood of condolences as well as expressions of gratitude for her activism.


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