top of page
Search

Seven Years of Saying His Name: Honoring The Life & Legacy of Miles Hall

Everything we’ve accomplished to date has been a community effort.



We lost Miles Hall seven years ago. He was killed by the police on June 2, 2019 during a mental health emergency. That is seven years without his smile, his presence, his voice. 


He should still be here. He was not a criminal. 


Miles was a son, a brother, a loving family member, and a friend to many. He loved making music, making people laugh, working in the garden, and riding his bike in the neighborhood. He was also someone living with a serious mental illness. On that day, just a few blocks from his home, Miles was  experiencing delusions. He just needed help. 


Miles’s death sparked a movement for care over criminalization in California and across the country. Together, we are building community awareness, trust, and connection to non-police crisis response. We’ve achieved major milestones over the years that wouldn’t be possible without the persistence and passion of our volunteers. 


Since 2019, The Miles Hall Foundation has worked to end the criminalization of mental illness and support Black families in crisis. We are here to educate, advocate, and prevent.


Here's what seven years of deep movement-building looks like with our community's support:


  • 2019: Friends of Alex, Scott & Taun Hall (FOSATH) formed from a growing team of volunteers -- a legion of friends, family, organizers, neighbors and activists, who demanded accountability and worked to raise awareness of  systemic injustices and the need for resources and reforms that would prevent another tragedy during a mental health emergency.


  • 2020: After months of showing up at every Walnut Creek city council meeting to publicly demand Justice for Miles, FOSATH members were part of the Walnut Creek Police Advisory Board created after Miles’ death, were part of the selection process for a new Walnut Creek police chief, created facilitated listening sessions for the city to receive direct feedback from its citizens on the city’s implicit bias and mental health response, and pressured the city to create a committee on diversity and inclusion.


  • 2021: The Miles Hall Crisis Hub Pilot launched to take calls from across the county to triage and determine the appropriate level of crisis response during mental health emergencies.  After hearing about Miles and being approached by FOSATH members and Taun Hall, Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan who represented Walnut Creek, decided something needed to be done to prevent something like this from ever happening again. Together with a team of FOSATH members, she and her staff got to work to make meaningful change across all of California, in Miles’ name. “Here was this woman who had tried for years to get her son the care he needed,” Bauer-Kahan said. “She had done everything right and it ended in her worst possible nightmare.” The City of Walnut Creek also officially commemorates Miles’ birthday February 15 as Miles Hall Day of Remembrance.




We've accomplished so much together in seven years to help decriminalize and destigmatize mental illness. The work continues. Despite it all, we're leading with broken hearts. We love you and miss you, Miles. Your legacy will continue to save lives and create change for people living with mental illness. 




988 Saves Lives

Now, when there is a mental health crisis, one can and should call 9-8-8 instead of 911 so the first responders include trained mental health personnel with the priority and focus of saving lives and upholding human and civil rights.


P.S. Stay tuned for our upcoming mental health awareness campaign in July to celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. Sign up for our newsletter for updates!

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page