Today would have been his 26th birthday. 

Instead he was shot and killed by a hateful man and his son and never made it home to his family. 

He was killed for no other reason than running while being black. 

These men used fear, like many others, as an excuse with similar claims of an accidental shot. Guns do NOT just go off. Guns are carried and brought for violence. Fingers are on triggers to start. The fact that this man and his son chased Maud to gun him down, shows the hate in their heart. Not just fear, hate. They gunned this young man down as if they were merely hunting game in the woods. There was no attack, just a young man running, and they picked him off like his life was meaningless. Maud had purpose in life and one worth living; people are destroyed by losing him.

Fight or flight. The innate responses to fear. However fight or flight only kick in when you are in danger. Danger means someone is attacking you. You are not in danger if someone is running away from you. If someone is running away and you treat them with violence, you are the aggressor. You are not the victim. YOU are the perpetrator. You are the assailant. And in this case, you are the murderers.

To the cowards who did this,

Someone is running AWAY from you, yet you are in fear of your life?

Let’s be clear that that doesn’t make sense. Let’s be clear that the defense of your racism is seen and known. Let’s be clear that if you do get away with this, and my God I hope you don’t, the hate in your heart has already been revealed to the world. In spite of you, there are people working for change and you have brought what we fight for into the public eye again.

All you do it hate. You hate everything that isn’t white, doesn’t fit into your box. Well, I hope the public is rid of you soon and you rot in a similar box behind bars.

Guns shouldn’t be put in the hands of men like you, who are afraid. Men, like you, who are reckless. Men that need to prove themselves by showing their strength, by hurting. White men like you, who need to keep power over everyone else.

His name was Ahmaud Arbery.

Today would have been his 26th birthday. 

Instead he was shot and killed by a hateful man and his son and never made it home to his family. 

He was killed for no other reason than running while being black. 

Maud was not dangerous. Maud was not lazy. He was driven, running at the time of his death. As I ran this morning, I thought of him the whole time. I thought of his family. It turned my stomach and hurt my heart to think of what they are going through. He left for a normal run.

Maud was just about my age. There’s so many things I still want to do right now at this point in my life, that HE still wanted to do. Now he doesn’t get the chance, not even a shot to see if he could. Everything was taken from Maud and his family for no reason. Nothing can bring him back. 

To Maud,

I did not know you, but I will think of you. I will tell your story. I will speak your name. I will look at your beautiful face and think, “Why?”

Most importantly, because of you, I will be a part of the change, which means you are part of the change.