Justice for Ahmaud Arbery (2020)

Melanie Cervantes
Digital graphic design, May 2020

From social media sharing:

“Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was jogging near his neighborhood in Brunswick, GA on February 23 when he was chased down, shot, and killed in cold blood.
His executioners were father & son, Gregory and Travis McMichael, two white men, who told police they believed Ahmaud fit the profile of a suspect. But the truth is: Ahmaud’s murder was an act of hatred and white supremacy.
Worst of all, the two DAs who recused themselves District Attorney Jackie Johnson and District Attorney George Barnhill further perpetuated the mismanagement of Ahmaud’s case. DA Johnson has a history of her judgment being called into question. In previous years, she’s shown through the mishandling of cases, her inability to fairly prosecute the officers she works with on a daily basis. And DA Barnhill even defended Ahmaud’s murderers by making the outrageous claim that Travis McMichael acted in self-defense and his actions fell within Georgia’s citizen arrest laws.

In his letter to the Glynn County police, he stated, “it appears {Travis and Gregory McMichael’s} intent was to stop and hold this criminal suspect until law enforcement arrived. Under Georgia law, it is perfectly legal.” Barnhill also went on to state that there was no need for arrest. And it is because of Barnhill’s suggestions to police that two months have gone by without an arrest or any form of accountability. Now, a district attorney in another county has finally decided to bring the case to a grand jury–but grand juries aren’t convening in Georgia until after June 2.
Instead of seeking justice, DA Barnhill abused his authority to exonerate the McMichaels in the media. For their inaction, both District Attorney Gregory Barnhill and District Attorney Jackie Johnson must immediately resign.
Ahmaud’s death is akin to a modern-day lynching. We must act NOW to end this racist terror. Enough is enough. We are demanding justice for Ahmaud — we refuse to lose any more of our loved ones to these reckless acts of violence. “Sign the @colorofchange petitiondemanding District Attorney George Barnhill & DA Jackie Johnson’s immediate resignation by clicking the link in my stories. #justiceforahmaud