On February 23, 2020. Ahmaud Arbery was simply taking a morning job in Brunswick, Georgia. Until two white men saw Ahmaud Arbery, and shot him. These two men thought that he was the neighborhood burglar. He twas only 25 years old. He was loved by his friends and family. Yet, his death are eye openers to the nation about police brutality and hate crimes against African American males and females. Even though segregation has ended a long time ago, people still carry their selves full of hate towards people who are different from them physically. Not knowing the character, but their skin color.
Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Sean Reed, Freddy Gray, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice. May I go on? Let's talk about that fact that this list continues to grow every day. It's to the point where I ask myself, "What's new?" The same hands that built this country, are the same hands we leave in the lives of the police. I do believe that there a re good cops, but I do believe that nothing has changed, other than the removal of a WHITE ONLY sign.
Recent news is that Ahmaud's killers are arrested. But can I be honest? That's not enough. If we rewind to Trayvon Martin's death, George Zimmerman was arrested, but he wasn't convicted. When this case goes to trial, I truly believe that there will be no justice. Why? Because Ahmaud Arbery is gone. He can't see his family. He can't continue living and growing to become better. He's gone.
I'm so tired. I'm so tired of walking out if my house, afraid of not coming back home. I'm tired of people targeting me because of the color of my skin. Every time I look at the news of another African American being killed and brutally assaulted, I ask myself, "Am I next?" But yet, I will always remember my history. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, "I have a dream that we will not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of my character." That dream still continues.
The dream still continues, because of ancestors were not hung, raped, beaten, and assaulted for us to stand down. We fight back. Not with guns and violence. But, with our legacy. We continue to run this race by getting our education, continue to work on ourselves. Not following the stereotypes. Not become worse. We fight back with peace. We put our hands up. We continue to run for Ahmaud Arbery, and all the other victims of police brutality and hate crime.
To Ahamud Arbery, you didn't deserve to die. You were simply taking a morning run just like you did every day. You seemed like a beautiful human being. Someone who was willing to work hard and continue to be an example for young African American men and women. Because of you, we will fight for justice and equality.
