After two years of pursuing justice and for action to be taken in the court of law, the white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia have been found guilty on all counts of interference of rights, a federal hate crime and attempted kidnapping. Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan were convicted of violating a federally mandated hate crime statute after harassing Arbery for running down the street on account of being Black. The verdict was delivered after three hours of deliberations that begun this past Monday and days of testimony last week.
As previously reported by EBONY, the three men were additionally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in early January 2022.
During the trial, the concept of racial insensitivity and general racism frequently exuded by the McMichaels and by Bryan on a regular basis came into question and provided a deeper understanding of their motives toward Arbery. During witness testimonies, more than twenty individuals spoke out about several instances of racist language and epithets used by the men on numerous occasions. These occurrences were described in great length and used as key evidence by prosecutors in the case.
As reported by CNN, a former member of the Coast Guard told the court that Travis McMichael used a racist slur when it became known to him that she was dating a Black man. A New York woman also testified that "during a visit she made to Brunswick, Georgia, Gregory McMichael went on an angry rant about Black people." As for William Bryan, an FBI agent said that he used the word "bootlip," a derogatory term for a Black person, in reference to the stereotypical characterization of the agent's face.
Ahmaud Arbery's death was part of a catalyst that led to a national reckoning of widespread accountability in the justice system and beyond. This tragic yet senseless incident in conjunction with the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Elijah McClain and many others in 2020 called for white America to open their eyes to the injustices experienced by Black diasporic people both in the United States and globally due to the color of their skin.
Many social justice activists such as Al Sharpton have spoken out with their satisfaction in the jury's ruing due to lack of judicial justice being a common precedent in situations like these. This ruling also comes a few days after the sentencing of Kim Potter, a policewoman who shot a young Black man by the name of Daunte Wright at a traffic stop. She was sentenced to two years in prison for "mistakenly" using her gun in place of her taser.
In a press conference following the trial, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that "no one should fear that if they go out for a run, they will be targeted and killed because of the color of their skin.“" He continued, "Although we welcome the jury’s verdict, the only acceptable outcome in this matter would have been Mr. Arbery returning safely to his loved ones two years ago."
As the verdict was read, the men shared no visible reaction.
