I was told I don’t know how to take a win in reference to the verdict in the Arbery case. I admit that by nature I’m a skeptic. I don’t think that one jury verdict is an indication that America is changing and moving past the devaluing of black life.
On the contrary I think the Arbery case shows that sometimes the stars do align. This time they aligned. But what if they hadn’t? What if Mr. Arbery’s family had not been so persistent in getting the real story on his murder? Here’s the big what if. What would have happened if one of the knuckle daggers hadn’t video taped the incident.
This occurred in Georgia. People sometimes thing that all of Georgia is like Atlanta. It’s not. There are plenty of places in the state where someone like Mr. Arbery would never be welcome.
When I say that the stars aligned I mean that Mr. Arbery’s family fought for the truth. I mean that the knuckle dragged provided the best evidence in the case. Actual footage of the encounter showing the stalking and subsequent murder of Mr. Arbery.
Mr. Arbery was unarmed and never menaced his assailants but without the video it would have been the word of his three assailants with no one to speak for Mr.Arbery.
So I Don’t consider the verdict a “win”. I consider it to be a vindication of Mr. Arbery’s name and reputation. He wasn’t the aggressor. He was an innocent black man who ran through a white neighborhood. I don’t see the jurors as heroes, I see them as people who were presented with a flawless case and did their duty.
So no I don’t think we can interpret the jury verdict as a fundamental shift in America. Not a victory, just the right thing to do.
The work is not done and the hearts and minds of people have not change. I’m happy that justice was served but I’m not foolish enough to think it means that things have changed. It wasn’t a win, it was justice. We have much work to do. We will not be where we need to be until we reach the point where the construct of race is no longer a factor in the process of justice.
Think!!
Eyes Wide 👀 👁 Open!!!