Celebrities are taking to social media in support of justice for Ahmaud Arbery , a 25-year-old black man who was shot multiple times and killed by two white men while he was jogging through the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia.
Although the suspects have been identified as 64-year-old Gregory McMichael and his son, 34-year-old Travis McMichael, no arrests have been made, and a fight for justice has begun.
Because of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, the fight has shifted from the streets through orchestrated marches and protests to platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
Kim Kardashian is the latest to use her platform to engage her followers for the cause, which recently picked up momentum when a video of the events was released online, quickly going viral. The megastar and social activist posted a photo of Arbery to her Instagram story, accompanied by the call to action.
“Please sign this petition so that charges will be filed and justice for Ahmaud Arbery’s family can be served.”
Kardashian also provided a link to a petition for people to take action.
Presidential candidate Joe Biden took a direct stance on the matter and publicly declared on Twitter, “The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood.”
The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder. https://t.co/alvY5WjdHx
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 6, 2020
Rapper T.I. has been posting support of Ahmaud Abery’s family on his Instagram account, with the repeated caption reading it won’t stop “UNTIL WE STOP IT.”
The hashtag #IRunWithMaud is being applied to posts in support of the slain Georgia man, with everyday people joining the movement. From general posts of support to jogging enthusiasts sharing photos of themselves on their daily run, proclaiming that they “run with Maud,” people are finding their own ways to rally in protest.
NBA superstar Lebron James posted a widely-used photo of Arbery to his Instagram and began expressing himself with the bold statement, “We’re literally hunted…” – referring to Arbery being chased down in a pickup truck by the two white men who killed him.
“We will eventually find a cure for Covid-19. Will we ever find a cure for racism?” asked Brian Sher, a well-known television and film producer as well as a longtime business partner of T.I., in a post on his social media.
Other celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, Kevin Hart and Justin Bieber have expressed outrage and activated their massive social media platforms to ensure the calls for justice for Ahmaud Arbery do not go unheard.
However, as previously reported by The Inquisitr , court proceedings have been put on hold by the state of Georgia amid the coronavirus outbreak, and whether a grand jury will indict remains unclear.