As much as I would like to see fairness for all people, I do not believe it will happen during my lifetime. However, I still remain hopeful. During the first few months of 2022, there have been incidents that remind me of the fact that racial division remains a problem in this country. This saddens me as most people just want to live their lives and be happy.
On 2/6/22 in Brookhaven Mississippi, a black FedEx Driver was chased and shot at by a white father and son while simply doing his job. Initially, when it was reported to the police this incident was not taken seriously although bullet holes were noted on the van he was driving. Additionally, just recently in Bridgewater, N.J. when the police arrived at a mall to break up a fight between a Black teen and a Latino teen the lighter-skinned, Latino teen was treated differently. Upon arriving on the scene without asking any questions the police separated the teens, placed the Black teen on the floor face down, handcuffed him with a knee in his back while allowing the Latino teen to go.
The aforementioned are incidents that have happened since the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, GA in February 2020. Nothing has changed. People of color are still being routinely treated in a disparate manner. My just as guilty title implies that the individual William “Roddie” Bryan was just as responsible as the McMichael father and son duo that initiated the chase ending in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. I say this because Bryan received a less harsh sentence than the McMichaels. He pinned Arbery in with his truck while the McMichaels approached Arbery to stop him from a theft (of which they had no knowledge or evidence of). This horrific stop ended in a young, innocent, Black man being murdered vigilante style.
The Federal Hate Crime trial revealed that Bryan was more involved than originally believed. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Bryan did not know Arbery but felt that because the McMichaels were chasing him he must have done something wrong. It was also reported that Bryan admitted he jumped in his truck and “cut Arbery off pretty good.” During this most recent Federal trial, it was also revealed that fiber from Arbery’s shirt and his fingerprints were found on the bumper of the truck. Given this new testimony, Bryan is truly “just as guilty.” He should have received the same sentence as his co-defendants.
The only crime committed by Arbery was jogging while black. It is my sincere hope that there will eventually be a world where race will be removed from the equation and all people will be treated equally regardless of color.
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Marvin Dixon/Founder
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