Esaw Snipes-Garner, the widow of Eric Garner—whose death at the hands of New York police officers helped spark 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 due to complications from longstanding health issues. Though she never sought public attention, Snipes-Garner became a powerful voice for justice after suffering 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 brought to the ground by Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who placed him in a prohibited chokehold. The arrest, captured on video by a bystander, showed Garner gasping, “I can’t breathe,” eleven times before losing consciousness. He later died at the hospital. The city medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by compression of the neck and chest. 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, intelligence, and devotion. She often shared how they met in the late 1980s through an old-school party line. “He told me he was older than he really was,” she once laughed in an 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 filled with laughter, resilience, and love, even though they were separated at the time of his death.
After losing Eric, Esaw turned her grief into purpose. She marched, spoke at rallies, and stood before elected officials to demand accountability—not only for her husband but for all victims of unjust policing. She joined lawsuits and investigations, stood beside her children as they grieved in public, and worked with community leaders to push for legislative change.
“Tragedy can beget tragedy,” said Dominique Sharpton of NAN, “and she weathered more than any single person ever should have to.”
Snipes-Garner’s passing marks another sorrowful chapter in a story that revealed the deep wounds of systemic injustice in America. Yet her strength, and the love she held for Eric and their children, continue to leave a lasting impact. Her voice, like his final words, will not be forgotten.