Ahmaud Arbery

This is a developing story. We will add more details as they come in.

Accoring to CNN, three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Southern Georgia in connection with the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery, 25, was shot and killed in February, 2020 while out for a jog near his home in Brunswick, Georgia. The story became a rallying cry for those advocating for new gun control measures and action on racial justice.

According to WSBTV.com, a federal grand jury has charged the three men with hate crimes. Travis and Gregory McMichael, along with William "Roddie" Bryan are also being charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping.

— (@)

As Upworthy's Annie Reneau wrote last year:

Anyone who is shocked by the killing of Ahmaud Arbery—an unarmed young black man shot by two armed white men while jogging through a suburban Georgia neighborhood—has not been paying attention. This is not new. This is not shocking. This is the ongoing history of racism and racial injustice in America.

And it's not just the shooting itself, which appears to be a pretty blatant modern-day lynching. It's the legal system that processes the killing. It's the law enforcement agencies—which the shooter used to work in—charged with investigating it. It's the justice system that will determine whether these men are guilty of murder or if they were justified in killing this young man.

From Your Site Articles

He ran 2 miles carrying a TV to prove 'looking like a suspect' is no excuse for murder

via Richard Desmick / TikTok

Over the weekend, an estimated thousands of people ran 2.23 miles to show their support for Ahmaud Arbery, a former high school football player and avid jogger. Arbery was shot and killed in February near Brunswick, Georgia after being pursued in a truck by a former policeman and his son who claimed he resembled someone responsible for break-ins in the neighborhood.

— (@)

Travis and Gregory McMichael were arrested on charges of murder and aggravated assault on Friday.

The incident is seen by many as another in a long list of instances of black people's lives being threatened while engaging in normal, everyday activities that wouldn't arise any suspicions if done by a white person.

Richard Desmick, a 34-year-old former pastor living in Vero Beach, Florida, showed his support for Arbery by running 2.23 miles and doing so in a way that exposes racial disparity in America.

"I just started crying when I just saw this poor young man running – as I have thousands of times in my life – get shot down," Demsick told Business Insider. He said he thought "maybe I should run with a TV to show that being a suspicious character isn't enough that someone should be shot down. Being a white person, that's just not going to happen to me."

Since Demsick posted the video on Saturday, it has already received over 279,000 likes.

— (@)

RICHARD DEMSICK on TikTok

RICHARD DEMSICK on TikTokwww.tiktok.com

#irunwithmaud part two! Really thought I figured it out guys but made it home safe after my 2.23 mile run 🤷🏻♂️ #runwithmaud #runwithahmaud #fyp

"Alright, I figured it out. I've got my hat on backwards, I'm shirtless like I'm on some episode of 'Cops,' I'm running with a TV," he said in a video posted to TikTok. "Someone's going to stop me now, for sure. Cause, if not, what was the problem with Ahmaud?"

The video has received an overwhelmingly positive response on social media, with many praising Demsick for engaging in activism that proves a significant point about race in America: a white man can run through the streets looking like he just stole a TV and no one bats an eye.

A black man minding his own business and jogging has to worry about being murdered.

via TikTok

"People have been incredibly kind, undeservedly kind," Demsick said about the response to his video. "There are people who are daily working trying to correct the injustice, I just made a video."

Demisck's passion for social justice stems from his life growing up in Detroit. He was raised in the suburbs and attended dance competitions where most of his friends were black. It was through his interaction with the black community that he learned of the struggles they face.

Demsick was also a pastor at what he calls a primarily upper-class conservative church in Florida. He later moved on to start an outreach program for individuals experiencing homelessness.

He made a follow-up video on Mother's Day where he asked his mom if she'd be worried for him if he went running with a television in his hand.

"No, of course not," she said.

"Huh, I wonder why that is," he responded.

From Your Site Articles

We have a small favor to ask of you