The death of Ahmaud Arbery concerns us all – i-D
Nearly every year our Instagram and Twitter feeds are filled with crude images of black death from somewhere in the US. Its the same alarming cycle: theres an unarmed black man, the police or their fellow citizen murder them, a video of the incident is found, pressure is needed to bring their killers to justice, theyre acquitted, the news moves on, we all forget. The death of Ahmaud Abrey is yet another tragic tale of American racism that has shocked the world.
This time the world must not look away. We cant let the news cycle move on. We cant let this kind of tragic injustice continue. I'm a 17-year-old black teenager from London. Ive never even been to America. But still the death of Ahmaud Abrey should concern us all. Hes our brother -- he had a mother, father, family and friends. He was human. No one, anywhere, in any country should suffer such a needless, brutal, unjust death. Even when the powerful across the world turn a blind eye we must speak louder and demand better.
In 2012 Trayvon Martin, aged 17, was gunned down by George Zimmerman in Florida. Zimmerman was acquitted. In 2014 Eric Garner was choked to death by an NYPD officer during an arrest, uttering the words I can't breathe. No charges were brought against the officer. In 2015 Walter Scott, who was unarmed, was fatally shot as he ran away from a police officer. In 2016 Alton sterling was shot dead by two police officers at close range. In 2018 the 23-year-old Stephon Clark was on the phone in his grandmother's garden, when he was shot and killed by two police officers. In 2019 Bothham Jean was fatally shot by his neighbour, an off-duty Dallas police officer. And thats just scratching the surface. There are countless other names not included in this list.
On February 23, as Abrey jogged through a small neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia, his life was taken by murderous hatred. For being a black man in America he paid the ultimate price. His life was ended by 34-year-old Travis McMicheal and his father George McMicheal, and in doing so, they extinguished the potential of the young 25-year-old. His memories yet to be made, dreams yet to be realised, life yet to be lived. All taken away in the flash of an eye. The sadness, rage and anger we feel at the video has to be transferred into action, demanding justice for Abrey and an end to the racism that allows this to happen.
The video is horrific to watch. Imagine how distressing it must have been for Abrey. To know that you went out for a run, never committed a crime, never hurt anyone, only to be hunted down and killed. Words cant describe the pain, suffering and anguish he must have experienced. He should've never died. He shouldve lived to see his dreams realised. He should be alive. Thankfully, his two killers have now been arrested and charged with his murder. But that isn't proper justice. Justice would be dismantling the racist system that made them feel like they could take his life.
We as humans are far too complacent. We think progress is won far too soon. An entire system exists which allows racist injustice to continue. The racism we thought was confined to the dusty pages of history still haunts us today. The American court system locks up African Americans for non-violent drug offenses for a long period while the killers of people like Trayvon Martin walk free. The police departments often dont properly investigate the deaths of African Americans like Abrey. Police officers shoot unarmed African Americans often with very little consequence.
In his 1963 letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr. famously said: a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We must enter a new day where we are united against all forms of oppression. Where we challenge the powerful, give voice to the voiceless and justice for all. We owe it to Abrey, and those who wrongfully suffered a similar fate, to ensure the brutal crime committed against him never happens again. Progress doesn't fall from the sky, its won by uniting, participating in activism and organising our communities.
Maybe Im too young to understand what the world should be. How the economy should be structured. How we can get better politicians. How to stop so much needless suffering. But it cant be this.
Excerpt from:
The death of Ahmaud Arbery concerns us all - i-D
- George Zimmerman Obituary (2024) - Orangeburg, SC - The Times and Democrat - Legacy.com - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman's Brother Compares Trayvon Martin to Alleged Baby Killer - Essence - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman Is to Auction the Gun Used to Kill Trayvon Martin, Reports Say - Yahoo Movies Canada - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Charged With Murder - imdb - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- City where Trayvon Martin was killed hopes to fix racial tension with storytelling, respect - Yahoo News - February 25th, 2024 [February 25th, 2024]
- Celebrating Trayvon Martin: How His Legacy Continues To Thrive - NewsOne - February 12th, 2024 [February 12th, 2024]
- Mary L. Bowman | News, Sports, Jobs - The Express - Lock Haven Express - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- The 'useful idiots' who cannot understand total evil - The Suburban Newspaper - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- Weaponizing death _- Commentary | Government/Opinion - City-sentinel - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Giffords: Cleveland, other shootings show the gun industry's ... - Houston Chronicle - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Today's Savannah Guthrie's multi-million net worth compared to Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, and more who's on top? - HELLO! - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- I met Harry Belafonte a decade ago at a protest. Im still moved by that moment. - Andscape - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- How two decades of gun culture helped shape America's 'Stand Your Ground' laws - ABC News - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Texas Governor Seeks To Pardon Convicted Killer Of Anti-police Brutality Protester - Barron's - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Why businesses should double down on EDI to weather economic ... - People Management Magazine - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Rep. Justin Jones: 5 Things About The HBCU Grad Reinstated To ... - BET - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Jackie Robinson breaks baseball barrier: Today in history - Calgary Herald - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Adidas Drops Trademark Dispute With Black Lives Matter - The New York Times - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- From Homewood to Bronx, Grammy-winning saxophonist ... - Chicago Tribune - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- Social Media Sympathizes With Tekashi 6ix9ine After Brutal Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Tekashi 6ix9ine Receives Support Online After Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- Was Tekashi Beat Up By His Own Security Force? - AllHipHop - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- The Republicans war on woke has turned the party into a group of hysterical Chicken Littles - TheGrio - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- A Timeline of George Zimmerman's Post-Trayvon Life - March 6th, 2023 [March 6th, 2023]
- Timeline of the George Zimmerman Murder Trial - ABC News - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Why George Zimmerman was acquitted - MSNBC.com - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Where is George Zimmerman now in 2022? He remains ... - TheNetline - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Fast Facts: The Zimmerman Case - CBS Miami - CBS News - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Eric Holder Praises Reverend Al Sharpton; Reports Say Zimmerman to be ... - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman's Bizarre Life Since Trayvon Martin's ... - Newsweek - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Black Man Charged With Murder of White Teen Says He Was Standing His Ground - VICE - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Re-Directing Clinical Passion: Benefits and Pitfalls - Psychotherapy.net - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- A List Of All The Ways Fans Heckle Accused Cheater Patrick Reed - Defector - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- Letter: What is a 'stand-your-ground' law? - INFORUM - August 7th, 2022 [August 7th, 2022]
- Justice remains elusive in Till's murder | | dailyitem.com - Sunbury Daily Item - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- White Man In Connecticut Arrested After Pushing 11-Year-Old Black Boy Off Bike - The Root - July 4th, 2022 [July 4th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots - Heritage.org - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Religious fanatics are now running the country - Daily Kos - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman: A Complete Story of a Murder and Life After - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots | Opinion - Newsweek - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- War Profiteering Benefits a Few But Hurts Most of Us - LA Progressive - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Opinion | Embracing the Complexity of Peace | Robert C. Koehler - Common Dreams - June 19th, 2022 [June 19th, 2022]
- Two White Men Arrested For Threatening Black Teen, Throwing a Rock In His Car In Same Town Trayvon Martin Was - Black Enterprise - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A dark money-fueled conservative group rebranded its effort to infiltrate local politics and local media outlets are falling for it - Media Matters... - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- #WordinBlack: Texas native son talks Juneteenth: better late than never - Afro American - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A Country Armed to the Teeth - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- Review: Netflixs Civil follows a momentous year in the life of Americas Black attorney general - SF Chronicle Datebook - June 13th, 2022 [June 13th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse is Lying About Going to College - The Root - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Buffalo associate superintendent named to Time's 'Innovative Teachers of the Year' list - WBFO - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Notre Dame says it is 'appalled' the Buffalo shooting suspect cited an article by one of its professors - Chicago Tribune - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- The NRA Exists to Keep Weapons Profits Booming and Guns in the Hands of the State and Right Wing - Left Voice - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa review the murder that shamed the US - The Guardian - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Be careful with testing waivers | News, Sports, Jobs - The Daily Times - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Attorney Ben Crump hired to represent family of Buffalo mass shooting victim - Orlando Sentinel - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- The New Black Panther Party: The Journal of Steffanie Rivers | WATCHinterview - eurweb.com - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- JAY-Z Has Dissed More People Than Any Other MC - Ambrosia For Heads - April 17th, 2022 [April 17th, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, April 9, the 99th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Woke Exclusive: The Cast and Creatives Reveal When They Got Woke at WonderCon 2022 - The Illuminerdi - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Parkland mass shooter finally faces judgment. Jury selection to begin on Monday - Norman Transcript - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Letter to the editor | Welcome all refugees into our country - TribDem.com - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, March 19, the 78th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- CT version of Stand your ground faces opposition in key committee - CT Insider - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse Gas Meme of Him Crying at the Pump Viewed Over 1M Times - Newsweek - March 18th, 2022 [March 18th, 2022]
- Letters to the Editor: Feb. 26, 2022 - TCPalm - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- 'This is what makes America what it is': educators taught to include Black history through the year - North Country Public Radio - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes ... - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin 10th anniversary: A look at the players - ABC News - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Oxygen - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Seattle and was not welcomed - NBC Right Now - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Yahoo Entertainment - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Family of Emmett Till and more reflect on his funeral, killers' trial - ABC News - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Black Lives Matters Co-Founder Alicia Garza Never Expected The Movement To Get So Big - Oxygen - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- The Re-Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. - City Watch - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Opinion: With COVID-19 and firearms, are Americans fighting another civil war? - Iowa City Press-Citizen - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Ahmaud Arbery verdict reached 9 years after the deaths of Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin - 11Alive.com WXIA - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Two Days Before Rittenhouse Verdict, a Native Woman Was Imprisoned for Killing Her Alleged Rapist Mother Jones - Mother Jones - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Rob Reiner Stirs Online Controversy With Take on Kyle Rittenhouse - We Got This Covered - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Losing Confidence in the Pillars of Our Civilization - RealClearPolitics - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- The Rittenhouse syndrome: Has America crossed the Rubicon? - Salon - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Redrawing the Map: Grassroots organization trains Black college students and young professionals on the importance of redistricting - Southern Poverty... - September 30th, 2021 [September 30th, 2021]