Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed on February 23rd in Brunswick, Georgia. His family says he was going on a one of his regular jogs through his suburban neighborhood when two armed white men, a father and son, Gregory and Travis McMichael, confronted him on a shady street. The men claim they thought Arbery was a burglary suspect, that he went for Travis’s gun and that they were acting in self defense.
The killing didn’t garner widespread attention until last week, when a grainy cell phone video showing the altercation and the last moments of Arbery’s life appeared on the local news. The video spread across social media and Amaud Arbery’s name became a hashtag. The recording sparked national outrage and propelled local law enforcement to arrest Gregory and Travis McMichael. The arrests came 74 days after the shooting.
Host Trymaine Lee talks with Reverend Al Sharpton, longtime civil rights leader, founder of the National Action Network and host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, about his fight for justice for Arbery, despite the delays and the limitations of organizing during a pandemic.
Further Reading:
- Video appears to show Georgia man shot while jogging; lawyers call for arrests
- Father and son arrested and charged with murder in death of Ahmaud Arbery
Find the transcript here.
Listen here: