Today, justice prevailed when three men in Georgia were given a punishment of life in prison for killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed African American, in cold blood. All three of Ahmaud’s killers are white. Two of the three involved have no possibility of parole. I agree with the decision reached and the sentence imposed. While this trial gripped the nation and many believe today’s sentence is appropriate, we cannot deny certain truths about Ahmaud’s final moments. That Ahmaud was chased in cold blood by the men who would take his life; that the license plate on the truck driven by his murderers depicted a confederate flag; and, that in the weeks after Ahmaud’s murder, his killers walked free and it was only when video footage of the attack went viral was accountability possible, and that justice could be served.”
“The sad reality is that many African Americans in this country, who have fought for years for justice to prevail in cases where unarmed individuals – particularly black men – have been murdered or killed with impunity at the hands of law enforcement or other individuals, have often wondered whether killers in these cases would be held accountable. I am pleased that today’s sentence appears to be continuing progress for securing justice when unarmed black men are killed, as was the case in the deaths of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and now Ahmaud Arbery. It is my hope that today’s sentence can be a measure of solace to those who survive Ahmaud, including Marcus Arbery Sr., his father, and Wanda Cooper-Jones, his mother.”
