Activists Remember Ahmaud Arberry

Activists Remember Ahmaud Arberry

By Nadrat Siddique

Over the weekend, I did the "Run for Maud 5k," an event held both in person (in Atlanta, GA), and virtually. Being outside the ATL, I selected the virtual version. I'd just finished a grueling 10-hour work shift, plus four hours of responsibilities as a caregiver, and was on four hours of sleep. I wanted nothing better than to go home and crash. But, I just had to run for Maud.

We remember Ahmaud Arberry (May 8, 1994 - February 23, 2020)

Every murder of an innocent should shake us to the core. But, as a runner, this one particulularly grips my soul. Why? It was the murder of a young man in the prime of his life. (Ahmaud was just 25 when he was killed.)

He was engaged in my favorite activity in the whole world, running. Like me, running was his passion. In addition to running, he'd made his mark on the sports arena: He was a star football player at his high school.
On the day that Ahmaud was killed, he wasn't hurting anyone. He was just out for a jog, and made the "mistake" of stopping by a home which was under construction, likely to admire it.
The home, it seemed, was "on the wrong side of the railroad tracks."
White racists- three of them- chased him down in their gun-laden pickup trucks. One of them struck him with his truck before death. Another of them briefly fought the cornered young man, who tried at first to cross to the other side of the street to get away from the attackers, then realized he had no choice but to fight for his life.
Then, one or more of the White racist/terrorists opened fire on Ahmaud. He was hit three times, including in two different parts of the chest. He was still alive when the police arrived. They were very friendly with Ahmaud's assailants. It turned out that two of the three attackers had a "law enforcement" background.
Not surprisingly, the DA's office refused to issue any arrest warrants for two months, and only did so in response to massive protests, including by the New Black Panther Party, NAACP, and others.
This is terrorism directed at America's black population. It reminds me of the White Supremacist/Zionist terror directed against young Palestinian men in Gaza. They, too, can't walk or run down the streets in their own neighborhood without fear of assault, jailing, kidnapping, or death, by people who think they are more entitled to be there than anyone else.
The Run with Maud 5k is held every August to mark Ahmaud's birthday. It is organized by the Ahmaud Arberry Foundation, with proceeds going to create safe places for black boys to run. You can walk, run, or donate:
https://ahmaudarberyfoundation.org

The Ahmaud Arberry Foundation was set up by Wanda Cooper-Jones, Ahmaud's extremely courageous mother, who made it her aim to create safe spaces for Black boys to learn, to grow, and to run. May the Creator give her solace and strength as she celebrates her son's birthday knowing he will never return from another run.

#BlackLivesMatter #PalestinianLivesMatter #RunForMaud #FreePalestine