The death of Ahmaud Arbery has received national attention after video of his killing surfaced this week. The video, which shows two white men shooting and killing Arbery while he is unarmed and out for a jog, has sparked outrage. Celebrities, like LeBron James and Ava DuVernay have spoken out about his killing and there are calls from the NAACP and Color of Change for the Georgia district attorney to resign. Political leaders are also commenting, with many referring to Arbery’s killing as a modern-day lynching. Namely, presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden spoke out to denounce the actions of the men who killed Arbery "in cold blood."
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“The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood,” former Vice President Joe Biden said on Twitter. “My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder.”
The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder. https://t.co/alvY5WjdHx
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 6, 2020
Biden was not the only political leader to weigh in on the case and refer to Arbery's death as a murder. After the national impact this video has taken — with a particular call to action to stop ongoing attacks against Black men in America — political leaders came out in strides to address Arbery's death. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was recently reinstated on the New York primary ballot, also gave an impassioned statement in response to the killing.
“The men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery must be held accountable and there must justice for Ahmaud's family,” Sanders tweeted. “There is no doubt in my mind that Ahmaud would be alive today if he were white.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren also called the video "sickening" and said that "the fact that no action has been taken after two months is unacceptable."
“Ahmaud Arbery was murdered for being Black,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “His White assailants were allowed to roam free *for months* after lynching him. They faced no charges, no arrests. Police had video of Ahmaud’s murder the day it happened.” Ocasio-Cortez also retweeted information about a planned protest at the Glynn County Courthouse on Friday at 10 a.m., along with a list of names of other injustices that have plagued Black and brown people in the U.S.
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At some point our country must meaningfully acknowledge that the killings of
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 7, 2020
Ahmaud Arbery,
Sean Reed,
Sandra Bland,
Tamir Rice,
Trayvon Martin,
Eric Garner,
Rekia Boyd,
Tanisha Anderson,
and countless others are not isolated incidents or “bad apples.”
It is systemic violence.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley echoed this same sentiment on Twitter. “I've struggled for words to describe the pain my husband & I feel reading about the lynching of #AhmaudArbery,” Pressley wrote. “Black while walking. Black while eating. Black while jogging. We need justice for his family now.”
Georgia representative Lucy McBath, who understands all-too-well the pain of losing a loved one as a result of racist violence, also spoke out. McBath's son, Jordan Davis, was killed by a white man in 2012 while he was sitting in his car listening to music. Jordan’s death is what spurred McBath’s political career, and the Democratic politician was elected on a platform touting gun control.
Outrageous and unconscionable. This is murder. Full stop.
— Lucy McBath (@lucymcbath) May 5, 2020
We cannot continue allowing this to happen in America.
I hurt for this young man’s family. We must demand justice. https://t.co/qyVGmQyQ2l
As political leaders unite with a consistent message seeking justice for Arbery's death, the district attorney also recommended the case go before a grand jury just prior to the video's circulation. Despite the fact that it took disturbing and widespread footage to create such a massive response for justice, Arbery's tragic death has created a movement to stop violence against Black men in America.