By Sarah Mitchell

A young, unarmed black man, jogging in his Georgia neighborhood, was hunted down and killed by two white armed men – a father-son duo, Gregory and Travis McMichael – in February. They claimed they were afraid the 25-year-old jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, was going to attack them, and District Attorney Jackie Johnson didn’t see a reason to charge them with anything. When video of the shooting went viral, there was a change of heart: the McMichaels were finally arrested and charged with murder on May 7, 2020.

This latest tragedy won’t be the first – or last – to happen while laws governing guns and hate crimes are far too lenient. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act is still waiting for a vote in the Senate, as is HR 8 (the background check bill). Per Merit Law, at best, the McMichaels had the right to follow Arbery and send police to that location. The 911 operator asked the men what Arbery did that was of criminal concern. They said, “He’s a black man running down our road.”

Meanwhile, a black woman in Georgia gets charged for felony voter fraud and is taken to trial twice – by the same DA who chose not to arrest the white supremacist murderers of Ahmaud Arbery, one of whom is a former police officer.

I wish I could say this was an irregular event. That it’s an aberration. A shocking travesty. But white supremacy and violence have always been inherent in our judicial and law enforcement system.

Everyone should be very aware that a former police officer hunted down and killed teenager Trayvon Martin after being told not to. He was even told to remain in his vehicle. He later auctioned off the gun used to kill Martin, who was just walking home with candy wearing a hoodie.

Black and brown men have been murdered for wearing hoodies, for playing with toy guns, for selling cigarettes, for picking up a BB gun for sale in a Wal-mart, for playing music too loud, for playing video games on a couch in their own living room, for speeding, and for so many other senseless reasons.

  • Jonathan Ferrell and Renisha McBride were murdered for asking for help after being in a car crash.
  • Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, and 7 year old Aiyana Jones were murdered in their own homes.
  • Stephon Clark had a cell phone.
  • Jordan Edwards left a party to get to safety.
  • Alton Sterling was selling CDs.
  • Mike Brown was walking from a corner store.
  • Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson were in church.
  • Sean Bell was holding a hair brush while leaving his own bachelor party.
  • Oscar Grant was partying on New Year’s.
  • Sandra Bland got a traffic ticket.

The same day the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery were finally arrested after two months of being free, Dreasjon Reed was murdered by Indiana police. He was shot more than 10 times after being tased. Already, people are jumping to defend his murderers – one of whom jokes about the 21-year-old needing a “closed casket” and proclaiming Reed wasn’t innocent because he ran from police.

Yet white men carry assault rifles, wear “tactical gear,” hide behind bandanas, and storm government buildings – and don’t get charged. They murder each other at a bar and don’t get charged. They take over a federal building and don’t get charged. No one guns them down, fearing for their lives. No one chokes the life out of them while pinning them to the ground. No one fires within two minutes of seeing them, even though they are very clearly armed to intimidate.

Michael Hariot, a writer at The Root, put together an enlightening and tragic thread on Twitter. I strongly recommend everyone read this thread, which chronicles the history of systemic massacres of black men, women, and children by those in power.

So what can you do?

You have a voice. You have elected officials. If you aren’t black or brown, you have privilege. Use it to call out racism and call out injustice. Demand your senators pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act and demand your state legislators and municipal officials pass similar local and state measures. Demand gun reform. Demand police accountability. Vote for candidates who are taking on these topics.

You cannot change the entire world overnight, but you CAN make a difference and when you have a million voices rising as one – those in power DO listen.

 

Sarah Mitchell is co-chair of WOW Dems’ Candidates Committee & a leader in local Moms Demand Action efforts.