Nationwide — Esaw Snipes-Garner, the widow of Eric Garner, whose death at the hands of New York police officers helped ignite a national movement for racial justice, has passed away at the age of 58. Her death, confirmed by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and BET News, was attributed to complications from longstanding health issues. Though she never sought the spotlight, Snipes-Garner became a powerful voice for justice after enduring a loss that shook the nation—and changed her life forever.
In July 2014, her husband, Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, was approached by NYPD officers on a Staten Island sidewalk. Accused of selling untaxed cigarettes, Garner was forcefully taken to the ground by Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who placed him in a banned chokehold. The disturbing arrest was captured on video by a bystander and showed Garner gasping, “I can’t breathe,” eleven times before falling unconscious. He later died at the hospital. The city medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, caused by compression of the neck and chest—but despite national protests, federal investigations, and widespread outrage, Pantaleo was never indicted or criminally charged.
To the world, Eric Garner became a symbol of police brutality. But to Esaw, he was a man of humor, intellect, and devotion. She often recalled how they met in the late 1980s on an old-school party line. “He told me he was older than he really was,” she laughed in a past interview. “But once we started talking, we couldn’t stop.” They married in 1989 and raised a blended family of six children, building a life together filled with laughter, resilience, and love, even though they were separated at the time of his death.
After losing Eric, Esaw transformed grief into purpose. She marched, spoke at rallies, and stood before elected officials demanding accountability—not just for her husband, but for all victims of unjust policing. She joined lawsuits and investigations, stood beside her children as they grieved publicly, and worked with community leaders to push for legislative reform. “Tragedy can beget tragedy,” said Dominique Sharpton of NAN, “and she weathered more than any single person ever should have to.”
Snipes-Garner’s death is another painful chapter in a saga that exposed the deep wounds of systemic injustice in America. Yet her strength and the love she had for Eric and their children continue to resonate. Her voice, like his final words, will not be forgotten.