Students should familiarize themselves with the facts of the case regarding Ahmaud Arbery and other racial injustices so that they can help change the broken justice system.
The guilty verdict for the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery has been a step in the right direction for changing the future. However, it does not change the fact that the battle for a better justice system, that is not against people of color, is far from over.
Ahmaud Arbery was a 25-year-old black man who was shot dead in his neighborhood after being confronted by three white men: a neighbor, his son and their family friend. According to The New York Times, the three men chased Arbery down in their pick-up truck as he was jogging. Shortly after a dispute, shots were fired.
Without the video for confirmation, these men would have likely gotten away with the killing of Arbery. In addition, one of these men was a former police officer who would have likely had additional support from his colleagues to vouch for his honesty.
The question remains: Without the video and public outrage for justice, would Arbery’s death have gone unanswered? With all the protests, the evidence against the defendants and their ill intent, the sentencing of these three men was not certain.
It was not certain because of similar outcomes such as with Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. These deaths either took government officials a long time to convict their killers or the families received little to no justice for their loved ones, according to the LA Times.
True justice is something that Arbery’s family will never receive. True justice is having their loved one home unharmed by the bigotry that still resides in major parts of our country.
According to Salon, racial hostility in America is still shown in many ways. One major example is the fact that the vast amount of white conservatives grips onto outright racist laws that have been proven several times to serve as an alternative for resentment and hostility towards people of color.
With the help of students who recognize the faults in our system, people of color would not only be fighting for the right to walk around without being targeted because of what they look like, the color of their skin and how they are addressed, but also the fight of change that begins at home.
It is a well-known fact that when every black child comes of age, they are given “the talk.” Not the bird and the bees, but the talk about how to live in a country where they are automatically a person of interest when anything goes wrong. It is the talk where parents or caregivers must explain to their children how to survive getting pulled over by police officers. This includes hand placements, the tone of voice they must speak in, whether to make eye contact and more.
The nature of this conversation must change. The sense of hopelessness has yet to be erased because of this one victory. Students should recognize the hunger for change.
One moment of justice should mean the end, but it truly means that the continuous fight for racial justice is where the work is for people determined to create change.
