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The death of Ahmaud Arbery was widely publicized when a video of his brutal murder began circulating online. He, a 26-year-old black man, was jogging in his neighborhood when someone called the police suspecting him of robbery. Soon after, three armed men approached, threatened, and ultimately kill Arbery. Below are my thoughts and notices of these events including what I anticipate from America after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery:

1. There will be arrest and that will feel like a victory. However, there will likely be no convictions. By not arresting these men in February when the murder happened, the legal system provided time for the murders to gather fans, resources, and allies. Because they are ex-cops, we are about to see the same injustices black people have always faced when white people of power have a say. They will come out of this richer and prouder due to GoFundMe pages and private KKK support while Ahmaud’s family bears the loss and scrutiny of their loved one being murdered and black.

2. I didn’t watch the video. There was no need too. I know what angry racist men sound like. I have seen the killing of black men in the videos of Philando Castile, John Crawford, and Eric Garner. I am frustrated with the state of this country. I’m not hopeful that there will change without radical and zealous engagement from the people. This murder and lack of justice are all too familiar.

3. Justification. People will dig through this man’s past, analyze the video, question his humanity, call him a thug, belittle his accomplishments, and ultimately decide that they can live with this death. That “all lives matter” doesn’t include ones they deem invaluable or unimportant. People will reduce this man’s murder down to the minuscule details and eventually blame him for being on the wrong street, for liking to jog, for being too dark skin, for being black where he wasn’t wanted. They will justify why murdering a black man is okay as long as a white man decides so.

4. Silence. So many of my white followers/ friends will be completely silent. They won’t express an opinion, they won’t challenge their racist family, they won’t talk to their children, they might not even read this post. Why is that important? Because until we make the murder of black people a human problem, it’ll keep happening! White people are the gatekeepers, perpetrators, and history of racism in America and the only ones who can fix it. There is no middle ground. Silence is a choice. Either you’re ally or happy benefactor.

5. To the Karen who called the police/ her police friend for a black man running near an abandoned home that she guessed might be a burglar scoping out his next spot midday because she claimed there was a string of robberies in the area however there are no records of such reports: You should be arrested too. You’re an accomplice to murder. May his face haunt your dreams, you witch!

6. The man who videotaped the event but didn’t call for help, murderer! The police officers in Glynn County that aided and abetted the men who murdered Ahmaud, murderers! You are all guilty and deserve to be stripped of your titles and jailed. You are terrorists and don’t deserve freedom.

7. The American policing systems needs to be trashed! It doesn’t work. Think of all the big jobs kids talk about wanting to have: Teacher, lawyer, doctor, veterinarian… all require a degree and formal education. But a police officer.. who’s job is to protect and serve the individual communities of our country, only have to go through a training process? Only a small psych evaluation or a basic tolerance course? I think 4 years of education and training are necessary for such an important and radical job! These “boys in blue” came straight from backwood cities where they’ve been bred in racism or straight from overseas where killing was a part of survival. No wonder why they can’t see black people as human.

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Side Note: I often wonder if I had the privilege to not care, would I not care? Could I be self-centered or only focus on problems that directly affect me? I used to be jealous of the way white people were allowed to be happy. I wanted to know what it felt like to not be angry, to not have racism smacked in your face every day. But I realize that privilege is ignorance is bliss. My ancestors fought their part so I can have today and I do my part for my descendants tomorrow.

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“The work that we do creates a terrain for the future…..We do this work for our communities and our communities stretch to the past and to the future.”

– Angela Davis as said live via The Gir Trek conversation with Nikki Giovanni

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Please consider donating to the family of Ahmaud Arbery.
Let’s ensure his murderers receive justice and his family can find peace.
Link: I RUN WITH MAUD