ATLANTA — Wednesday will mark two years since Ahmaud Arbery was killed in Brunswick, Georgia. To mark the day, several organizations, civil rights leaders and lawmakers are hosting events in his memory.
Arbery was running through the Satilla Shores neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020, when prosecutors said he was chased and cornered on a street by father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan. Travis McMichael fired his shotgun in the chase, killing the young Black man.
Nearly two years after Arbery's death, the three men have been convicted on murder charges and face life sentences. They are also being tried in federal court on hate crime charges.
Georgia's House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring Feb. 23 Ahmaud Arbery Day.
To remember how Arbery's death changed the conversation around race and to mark the winding road to justice, leaders are inviting the public to several events, below are the details.
- Privileged Resolution Ceremony for Arbery Family
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 10:30 a.m.
State Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex) will present the Arbery family with a resolution in a ceremony at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The resolution will recognize his family and highlight that Arbery's death sparked the overhaul of Georgia's citizen's arrest statute and the enactment of a new hate crimes law, according to a news release.
- I Still Run With Maud
Virtual participation
Rep. Scott asks people to walk or run 2.23 miles on Feb. 23 and reflect on how Arbery's life was taken two years to the day while he was jogging. People can post about their participation using the hashtag #IStillRunWithMaud.
- Candlelight Vigil March
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 5 p.m.
In a memorial-like setting, loved ones will hold a vigil at the Ahmaud Arbery Mural in Brunswick.
- Transformative Justice Coalition Discussion
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 7 p.m.
Loved ones, advocates and community leaders will gather at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Brunswick for a discussion on how to help create change.
- Ahmaud Arbery Day Run, Atlanta Beltline
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 6 p.m.
The South Fulton Running Partners, Movers and Pacers, and other members of the running community will join together for their annual 2.23-mile run in memory of Ahmaud Arbery. The run will be on Atlanta's Beltline with runners gathering at The Nia Building at the Pittsburg Yards Development at 352 University Avenue SW. Click here for more information.
- Marietta Square Prayer Vigil
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 2 p.m.
Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady, Jr. will be holding a prayer vigil on the Marietta Square located at 99 S. Park Square NE at 2 p.m. The prayer vigil will feature community and faith leaders who will discuss the significance of the day and the need to stand against hate in the community, a news release said.
- Ahmaud Arbery Park
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 4:15 p.m.
The Glynn County Commission has renamed a Brunswick park where Arbery was once nearly tased by a police officer. Commissioner Allen Booker is hosting a soft dedication of the newly named Ahmaud Arbery Park.
- Satilla Shores Prayer Vigil
Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The Transformative Justice Coalition has organized a day of remembrance, including a prayer vigil at the site of Arbery's murder in Satilla Shores around the time he died, at 1pm, and a candlelight vigil at a mural of Arbery in Brunswick at 5pm.
This story will be updated with events as we receive more details.