FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 24, 2021

CONTACT: Danielle Strasburger, press@populardemocracy.org

NEW YORK - The following is a statement from Jennifer Epps Addison, Co-Executive Director of Center for Popular Democracy, on the conviction of Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan Jr. in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. 

“The murderers of Ahmaud Arbery were rightfully convicted. But a guilty verdict can’t bring Ahmaud back or undo the suffering caused by his death, and justice will not fully be served until we dismantle white supremacy.

“The jury found Ahmaud’s murderers guilty, but too often we have seen the legal system uphold white supremacy at the cost of Black lives and Black suffering. Our legal system was never meant to deliver justice -- it was built to uphold and enforce white supremacy and inflict violence on Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and marginalized communities. 

“White supremacist violence and white vigilantism will continue to terrorize our communities until white supremacy is defeated.

“Now, more than ever, we need to follow the lead of organizers in Georgia like ​​New Georgia Project Action Fund. We will continue to organize and build a powerful multi-racial people’s movement to protect our communities and defeat white supremacy.”  

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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY

The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.