Ahmaud Arbery should be here

“The power structure that enforces structural racism in every aspect of daily life is what must be dismantled for democracy to exist here.” — Bree Newsome

’Ahmaud was kind’ — Mother of Ahmaud Arbery says he was loved by family and peers

The world occasionally witnesses white supremacy and racism in the US. On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was murdered in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia, United States.

Today, what I am trying to say is that stopping this systemic racism and police brutality against people of color, especially black people, that is ingrained in the US structure, is possible only by changing minds.

When three White residents,Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan Jr. were found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery on Wednesday, I felt like I could finally exhale. Although Ahmaud Arbery’s mother is still without her child. Nothing can heal that wound.

Like many Black people in this country, I had been waiting for the verdict with bated breath. That is part of the Black experience in America — holding one’s breath, hoping for justice and yet not expecting it. To say there was a collective sigh of relief when those guilty verdicts were announced Wednesday is an understatement. Many wept, shouted, hugged one another and breathed.

Today as we remember the life of Ahmaud Arbery we are reminded that the fight for justice, equal protection under the law, and accountability is far from over.

Statistics show that people of color face a higher possibility of being shot by police than white men and women, which risk peaks in young adulthood. Men of color face a non-trivial lifetime risk of being killed by police.

To conclude, what we must do is to take action against these racial acts and white supremacy. Because “Lightning makes no sound until it strikes.” — MLK

We won’t forget that “Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about the things that matter.” So let’s fight to achieve our rights.

Additionally, “If you’re not ready to die for it, put the word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary.” — MalcolmX