By Hannah Tiller, Editor in Chief, @hannahtcourant
In February of this year, the shooting of a black man named Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood struck the news. His death was inevitably shocking and certainly induced many to shed tears. For me, this shooting has certainly made an impact on the way I see my world.
I won’t get into detail regarding the shooting, however small pieces must be clarified to present why this story is worth reading. For one, Arbery was a former high school football player who regularly jogged around neighborhoods like Brunswick, Georgia.
Photo by Reuters
However, when the neighborhood began experiencing burglaries, Arbery was no longer viewed as a harmless, unarmed jogger, but rather a threat- “a black male running down the street”, as he was called in a 911 call on February 23rd.
Two men viewed this jogger as worthy of being hunted down. They took Ahmaud’s life before the police could even come to the scene of the so-called “burglaries.” These guilty men did not provide essential details to the police about the supposed crime they were calling about.
This story remains relevant today, as the police made arrests on May 7th for this crime. This delay has been subject to great criticism (as it should). The murderers were let off without a murder charge for too long due to citizens arrest, part of Georgia’s penal code, which ultimately allows a citizen to make an arrest based on suspicion. Georgia turned a blind eye to the excessive force the murderers used, which was clearly based on racist assumptions.
A murder charge was finally given to the two men, however months after the murder took place. These murderers walked the streets for a dangerous amount of time before being charged, even though there was a released video of the murder itself.
It is not uncommon for white men to get away with possession and use of firearms at inappropriate times. In April, protestors stormed the Michigan Capitol building in protest of Coronavirus stay-at-home orders. Many of the participants carried firearms and threatened police officers. However, the participants were not held accountable for their illegal actions.
How is it logical that a white man’s immoral use of firearms are so routinely ignored? White men will threaten lawmakers in public buildings and policemen will repeatedly shoot innocent black people, just as Arbery’s murderers shot him. These white men all share the commonality that our laws and justice system will pardon them of their faults.
As a white runner, I not only feel for Arbery, but also his family. Not only were they victims of a crime, but they were victims to the system failing to serve proper justice. I cannot imagine what grief they must feel losing their son to racial profiling.
I feel as if the running community should take this event as a wake up call. As a community, we have the power to voice our support of Arbery and unite against this racial discrimination.
Do you want to know what did not happen to me on my run yesterday? My life was not threatened. I am incredibly grateful for that. When most people see a white girl running their neighborhood, they do not feel threatened by her. For black people on the other hand, they are subject to claims that suggest they are somehow threatening, which ultimately many police believe.
It is unfortunate that we have to live in a world where racism and violence plague the simplest activities like going on a jog. To me, running is when I feel the most at peace. For others, it is not safe to enjoy this bliss. For Arbery, it was deadly. And, sadly, for his murderers, it was a free chance to shoot another human with no consequences.
We need to wake up. It is time to access how we serve justice in cases like this. We must educate ourselves on these events to recognize that black people have legitimate worries that white people simply don’t. It is time for the violence we have accepted as normal to be addressed. If not for Arbery, we should do it for the many other victims who have been neglected under similar circumstances.
The nation has supported a movement called #IRunwithAhmaud, which has inevitably blown up on social media. Next time you think of taking a run in your town “run with Ahmaud” and help us unite against racial profiling.
