Ahmaud Arbery (1994-2020) and the Brunswick, Georgia community who voted out their shameful District Attorney (2020-2022) | |
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The Transformative Justice Coalition and the Voting Rights Alliance, in honor of Black History Month, are reviving the daily special series devoted to sharing the legacies and stories of the sheroes, heroes, and events in the fight for Black suffrage. This series was created in 2017 and will add several NEW articles this year. In addition to these daily newsletters all February long, this series also incorporates daily social media posts; an interactive calendar; and, website blog posts to spread the word broadly.
Feel free to publish on your social media outlets, with credit given to the Transformative Justice Coalition. Thanks to everyone who has been sharing so far this year!
In light of the recent attempts to ban Black History, we are even more pleased to share these stories this year. We encourage everyone in the 18 states that are banning Black History to share these stories broadly!
Others can sign up for the daily articles or view more Black History articles at VotingRightsAlliance.org.
This article was authored by Caitlyn Cobb.
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The Struggle Continues
for 100% Justice For Ahmaud!
Join the Transformative Justice Coalition for a national TeleTown Hall ft. Marcus Arbery, members of the Arbery Family, and the Brunswick Community TONIGHT February 23rd, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Watch for Free on
Facebook Live Facebook.com/TJC.DC
or
TJC.DC: YouTube
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This Tele-Town Hall is occurring on the third anniversary of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by three white vigilantes in Brunswick, Georgia. Ahmaud Arbery, an avid runner, was running in the white community of Satilla Shores when he was killed by three white racist men. It should be noted that Ahmaud committed no crime.
Gregory McMichael, the father of Ahmaud’s killer, had previously worked for the Glynn County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Johnson. On the day that Ahmaud was hunted down, pinned in and shot at point blank range, Gregory McMichael called State’s Attorney Jacqueline Johnson asking for her assistance and advice because he and his son, Travis, had killed Ahmaud Arbery.
The killing of Ahmaud was done at point blank range, such that powder residue from the muzzle of the 12 gauge shotgun was visible on the blood stained tee shirt that Ahmaud was wearing. The shotgun used to kill Ahmaud at point blank range was the type of shotgun that could kill an elephant.
State’s Attorney Jacqueline Johnson, who was running uncontested for her bid for re-election as the State’s Attorney for Glynn County, directed Glynn County Police Officers not to arrest the three killers. It is believed that she further directed Gregory McMichael to go home and clean Ahmaud’s blood off of his body.
State’s Attorney Johnson would lie to Marcus Arbery, Ahmaud’s father, about how the killing occurred, placing Ahmaud at fault as committing a crime and being the aggressor before the killing. After realizing State’s Attorney Johnson’s lies, the Arbery family and residents of Glynn County sought to acquire signatures on a petition to have an additional candidate placed on the ballot to run against State’s Attorney Jacqueline Johnson. The Arbery family and community were successful in securing the number of signatures necessary to place another candidate into the race. As a result, for the first time in Glynn County’s history, an incumbent Prosecutor was defeated in an election. Even more, because of the direct action of the Arbery family and the Brunswick community, in 2023, former Brunswick State’s Attorney Jacqueline Johnson will stand trial in Glynn County Superior Court for charges of Violating her Oath of Office and Obstructing a Police Officer.
The persistence of the Arbery family and the Glynn County community demonstrates that not only is “all politics local,” but “all voting is local” too. This Tele-Town Hall commemorating the death of Ahmaud Arbery is also a celebration of the right to vote and a lesson in the power of the local ballot box.
Read more below.
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Note from the author: This article is comprised of quotes from many different articles in order to provide a more comprehensive view of this time. All sources are linked in green throughout the article, with a full reference list at the end.
Today, February 23rd, 2023, on the third anniversary of his killing, we honor Ahmaud Arbery and remember how his tragic passing led to the Brunswick, Georgia community, whom we also honor in this article, coming together to vote out their Judicial Circuit District Attorney (DA), Jackie Johnson, who had been shamefully failing to provide equal justice for years.
"On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was murdered in a racially-motivated hate crime while jogging in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia. Three white men racially profiled him...[Although their cover story was that Ahmaud was a burglar responsible for recent break-ins and thefts in the area, that not only isn't true but they knew that a White man had been on camera engaging in stealing, which they knew before they murdered Ahmaud. The White thief was never apprehended]. The three men chased Arbery in their trucks, using the vehicles to illegally confine him as he tried to run away. Two of the men, Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, were armed and in one vehicle, and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, was in another vehicle. After several minutes, Travis McMichael got out of his truck and threatened Arbery with a shotgun. Arbery attempted to defend himself and Travis shot him three times, murdering him. Bryan recorded their pursuit and murder of Arbery on his cell phone.
Members of the Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) arrived on the scene soon after the shooting, but no arrests were made for more than two months. The GCPD said the Brunswick District Attorney's Office first advised them to make no arrests then Waycross District Attorney George Barnhill twice advised the GCPD to make no arrests, once before he was officially assigned to the case, and once while announcing his intention to recuse due to a conflict of interest. At the behest of Gregory McMichael, a local attorney provided Bryan's video to local radio station WGIG, which published the video on May 5. The video went viral on YouTube and Twitter. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested the McMichaels on May 7 and Bryan on May 21, charging them with felony murder and other crimes.
The case was ultimately transferred to the Cobb County District Attorney's Office. On June 24, 2020, a grand jury indicted each of the three men on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and other crimes. Their trial began in November 2021 in the Glynn County Superior Court; all three were convicted on November 24 of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Travis McMichael was further convicted of malice murder.[29] On January 7, 2022, the McMichaels were sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole plus 20 years, with Bryan sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years. On February 22, 2022, the three men were found guilty in a federal court of attempted kidnapping and the hate crime of interference with rights, while the McMichaels were also convicted of one count of using firearms during a crime of violence."
When Ahmaud was murdered, one of the murderers calls the District Attorney of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit and says "we just killed a man". The District Attorney replies not to worry about it, and tells the police not to arrest any of them and to let them go. While CSI is on the scene, the father drives the truck Ahmaud was in front of away. The DA goes to great length to keep her word that they have nothing to worry about: Police shut down the investigation after 2 days. At the same time, a lie leaks to the press that Ahmaud was robbing a house so as to justify his slaying. He was never robbing a house. The DA is now under state indictment for obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
"The local authorities' handling of the case resulted in nationwide criticism and debates on racial profiling in the United States. Many religious leaders, politicians, athletes, and other celebrities condemned the incident. Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr formally requested the intervention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case on May 10, 2020, which was granted the following day. Former Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson was indicted in September 2021 for "showing favor and affection" to Gregory (her former subordinate) during the investigation, and for obstructing law enforcement by directing that Travis not be arrested. In the aftermath of the murder, Georgia enacted hate crimes legislation in June 2020, then repealed and replaced its citizen's arrest law in May 2021." (footnotes ommited)
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| Arbery killers get life in prison; no parole for father, son | | BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) - Three white men convicted of murder for chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison Friday, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the... | | | |
Watch the video below to see the reactions of Barbara Arnwine and Daryl Jones, Co-Leaders of the Transformative Justice Coalition, on the Roland Martin Unfiltered web show when Ahmaud Arbery's Killers were Found Guilty On All Counts In Federal Hate Crime Trial: | |
The Arbery family got very upset and steamed when they realized all her dishonesty. By the time this fully came to light, the deadline for filing to run for the DA had passed and she was unopposed. The community decided they weren't going to be held back, and had petition drive to put an opponent on the ballot. For the first time in probably all of South East Georgia, the incumbent DA was voted out of office, despite the Arbery tradition of not voting. The DA had been extremely disreputable for years for years but no one ran against her because they felt she was unbeatable.
When we talk of Black Lives Matter, you have to talk about voting: sheriff runs for office, judges, clerk of court, and the DA. Ensuring you are politically engaged and putting those who align best with your beliefs not only can prevent senseless tragedies involving police violence, but also can ensure unethical politicians don't get into office and don't stay in office.
Read more below:
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| How a long-shot candidate tossed out the DA accused of... | | "It took not just one scandal, not even two scandals, but several scandals and then something as huge as the Ahmaud Arbery case to actually force a change in that office," Page, a criminal defense attorney in Brunswick. | | | |
As of February 23rd, 2022, "the state of Georgia will recognize Feb. 23 of each year as Ahmaud Arbery Day, for the Black jogger who was chased down and killed on a residential street near Brunswick exactly two years ago.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a resolution earlier this month honoring Arbery and urging people to jog 2.23 miles annually to advocate for racial equality."
Read more below:
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| Georgia marks statewide 'Ahmaud Arbery Day' to honor the ... | | Beginning Wednesday, the state of Georgia will recognize Feb. 23 of each year as Ahmaud Arbery Day, for the Black jogger who was chased down and killed on a residential street near Brunswick exactly two years ago. The Georgia House of... | | | |
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