BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Several dozen people walked through the Brunswick neighborhood Wednesday where Ahmaud Arbery lost his life exactly two years ago for Georgia's "Ahmaud Arbery Day."
This comes after all three men already convicted of his murder in state court were found guilty of federal hate crimes Tuesday.
Arbery's paternal aunt Thea Brooks said he jogged across Route 17 and into the Satilla Shores neighborhood on February 23, 2020. That jog would be his last one.
“Today is the anniversary of his lynching," Pamela Bailey said.
Pamela Bailey joined the group of people walking in Arbery's footsteps down Satilla Shores Road. That's where Travis and Gregory Michael and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, chased him for five minutes. Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery with his shotgun.
“It was important for us to come out today to remind ourselves what happened and the justice we gained by the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery," Bailey said.
The group prayed for Arbery at the exact spot where he lost his life.
"It’s very sad. It’s heartbreaking to know that he was still alive when law enforcement arrived, to know he moved his foot in that same spot to say, ‘Hey, I’m still alive. Help me,’ and no one rendered any aid. He laid there and he bled to death," said Thea Brooks, Arbery's aunt.
“We’ve been down here numerous times fighting for this family and elevating their voice," Gerald Griggs said.
Gerald Griggs, the first vice president with the Atlanta NAACP, led people in prayer and then joined them at Arbery's memorial to release balloons in his memory.
“A lot of emotion flowed through my body. As an African American man born in Georgia, this hurts to see a young jogger killed in his prime for no other reason than he’s a Black man," Griggs said. "It really hurt, but it also gave me resolve to continue to fight with this family, to make sure they get justice, and to uplift this community because we’re all one Georgia.”
The memorial along Route 17 has flowers, a cross with Arbery's name, and a teddy bear. It serves as a visual reminder of a life gone too soon but never forgotten.