--- title: Erica Garner's Friend and Colleague Pays Tribute description: Reggie Harris remembers his friend, activist Erica Garner, who died Dec. 30, 2017. canonical: https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/ author: Reggie Harris article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-03T21:48:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:44:12.295Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Garner Way Political Director: Erica Garner ‘Put Her Entire Life In This Fight’ og:description: Read this tribute to the activist og:url: https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51ac662b89e4ba5a/6988f6fe8fd2ee5a0d35a345/erica-garner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Daughter Of Eric Garner Leads Protest March In Staten Island og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Garner Way Political Director: Erica Garner ‘Put Her Entire Life In This Fight’ twitter:description: Read this tribute to the activist twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51ac662b89e4ba5a/6988f6fe8fd2ee5a0d35a345/erica-garner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Garner Way Political Director: Erica Garner ‘Put Her Entire Life In This Fight’ > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d7ece8c-cc48-48f2-8712-4de5c20b1a70&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d7ece8c-cc48-48f2-8712-4de5c20b1a70&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=0d7ece8c-cc48-48f2-8712-4de5c20b1a70&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=0d7ece8c-cc48-48f2-8712-4de5c20b1a70&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Activist Erica Garner, Daughter of Police Chokehold Victim, Dies at 27 [Watch (HLS stream): Activist Erica Garner, Daughter of Police Chokehold Victim, Dies at 27](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PIC9O7K3.m3u8) (1:23)  _Published 2017-12-30. Anti-police-brutality activist Erica Garner, who suffered “major” brain damage after a Dec. 24 heart attack, died Saturday morning, according to an update on the 27-year-old’s verified Twitter account._ by [Reggie Harris](https://time.com/author/reggie-harris/) ## Reggie Harris Jan 3, 2018 9:48 PM UTC by [Reggie Harris](https://time.com/author/reggie-harris/) ## Reggie Harris Jan 3, 2018 9:48 PM UTC Looking back on the passing of my dear friend [Erica Garner](http://time.com/5082527/erica-garner-dies-community-reacts/), the first thing that I think is, _You did well_. The second thing that I think is, _I wish that this burden was never thrust upon you_. Erica was not a born activist — she was a daddy’s girl, and she loved hard. She was a mother, a sister and a loyal friend. Activism was a tactic that she thought was the best way for her to see justice for her father, [Eric Garner](http://time.com/3616780/eric-garner-chokehold-new-york-staten-island/), who was killed by Daniel Pantaleo, a member of the New York Police Department. No such justice was ever received. Instead, everywhere she turned she got empty words and promises. Mayor Bill de Blasio called himself a progressive but sided with the police unions against Erica in her fight for justice. Governor Andrew Cuomo did indeed appoint a [special prosecutor](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/nyregion/cuomo-to-appoint-special-prosecutor-for-killings-by-police.html), but only for one year, just long enough to get a photo op with the Garner family but not to upset the establishment. Erica took her fight all the way to a Democratic [White House](https://nypost.com/2016/07/14/erica-garner-meets-with-obama-after-abc-town-hall-outburst/) to no avail. In the end, after Erica put her entire life into this fight, not only for herself but for everyone Black, she got no changes. The stresses of fighting for three years became too much for one person to bear. The fact that her death took place mere weeks after she took a year off and a few months after having her child is not lost. Erica left two children behind: Alyssa, who is seven, and her newborn Eric, who is four months old. She was loved by many. I am honored to have gotten a chance to know her, to work with her and to call her my friend. If she were here, she would first and foremost want to make sure that her children were okay. Second, she would want us to remember who delivered for us and who didn’t. And lastly, she would want to make sure that foster care parents like the family she lived with for some time are supported. Let us all honor her legacy and wishes. _Reggie Harris is a political strategist and political director at the Garner Way Foundation._ ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] This is the spot that officers, that officers [ MUSIC ] Tackled my father, like an animal. [ MUSIC ] Eric Garner Eric Garner [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/"},"headline":"Garner Way Political Director: Erica Garner ‘Put Her Entire Life In This Fight’","datePublished":"2018-01-03T21:48:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-12T08:44:12.295Z","description":"Read this tribute to the activist","url":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/","keywords":["obituary","Eric Garner"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51ac662b89e4ba5a/6988f6fe8fd2ee5a0d35a345/erica-garner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Reggie Harris","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/reggie-harris/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51ac662b89e4ba5a/6988f6fe8fd2ee5a0d35a345/erica-garner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Daughter Of Eric Garner Leads Protest March In Staten Island","caption":"Daughter Of Eric Garner Leads Protest March In Staten Island","creditText":"Andrew Burton—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/","name":"Garner Way Political Director: Erica Garner ‘Put Her Entire Life In This Fight’"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Activist Erica Garner, Daughter of Police Chokehold Victim, Dies at 27","description":"Anti-police-brutality activist Erica Garner, who suffered “major” brain damage after a Dec. 24 heart attack, died Saturday morning, according to an update on the 27-year-old’s verified Twitter account.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PIC9O7K3/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-12-30T18:23:31.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PIC9O7K3.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/","duration":"PT1M23S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5086625/erica-garner-obituary/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```