🌳 Planting Peace: A Memorial for Jakolbi Taylor 🌳
On Saturday, July 19, just one day shy of a full year since our beloved Jakolbi Taylor was violently taken from us, we invite the community to gather at Perry Park for a special memorial and tree dedication in his honor.
In partnership with the City of Roanoke’s Planting Peace initiative, Run Up City, and the Gun Violence Prevention Commission, this event is about more than remembrance — it’s about truth, justice, and healing. A living oak tree will be planted to honor Jakolbi’s life, his light, and the love he gave so freely.
While a man named Gary Abraham has been arrested and charged in connection to Jakolbi’s murder, the road to justice has only just begun. The case has not yet gone to trial, and many others involved remain unaccounted for. Our family still lives with unanswered questions, and we will not stop until every person responsible is brought to justice.
This gathering is also a time to acknowledge the ongoing crisis of senseless gun violence in our community — and to call attention to the deep, systemic struggles faced by at-risk youth. Jakolbi was full of potential and promise, and his story is tragically one of far too many.
We’ll have food, drinks, a memorial activity to celebrate Jakolbi’s life, and space for reflection, connection, and community voices to be heard. It will be a powerful moment to stand together — in love, in grief, and in purpose.
