People are sharing #IRunWithMaud to honor the life of Ahmaud Arbery

On Friday, people are running, walking, or jogging 2.23 miles to honor the life of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Georgia resident who was fatally shot while on a run in a neighborhood near his own. 

May 8 would have been Arbery’s 26th birthday, and the 2.23 miles are meant to represent February 23, the date of Arbery’s death. 

Though Arbery was killed in February, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation did not initiate an investigation until May 6, shortly after the May 5th release of graphic video footage depicting the incident, and mounting public outcry. 

On Thursday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that Gregory McMichael, who formerly worked for the Glynn County Police Department in Georgia and as an investigator in the district attorney’s office in Brunswick, GA, and his 34-year-old son, Travis, were arrested and charged for murder and aggravated assault. (Officials said the charges against the suspects in Arbery’s case were not driven by the growing attention emerging across the country, the New York Times reports.) 

For many, though, the months of inaction tracked with a longer history of injustice faced by black people seeking recourse in the justice system, particularly when it comes to unarmed black men killed by gun violence. 

Consequently, in addition to honoring Arbery’s life, those running Friday are also calling attention to still-needed reforms in the justice system. 

According to CNN, Arbery’s high school football coach, Jason Vaughn, organized the #IRunWithMaud hashtag. Vaughn told CNN that, with many public gatherings unsafe in light of the coronavirus, a run was apt for showing widespread support in lieu of other forms of public demonstration. 

Vaughn last saw Arbery while on a run, which Arbery frequently took, according to those who knew him. 

“I’m going to keep going just like he was going last time I saw him,” Vaughn told CNN.

People were tweeting with the hashtag in the days prior to Friday in support of Arbery’s family, and to raise awareness for a petition through runwithmaud.com. The petition calls for the arrest of William Bryan, the man who filmed the video of Arbery’s death. It also called for FBI hate crime charges to be brought against the McMichaels, and for processes for the trial to be moved from Glynn County, where Gregory McMichael previously worked.

Now, though, the collective run is taking place across the country. People honoring Arbery on Friday are posting photos of themselves on their runs, often with a documentation of mileage trackers showing the exact 2.23 miles they ran. Those participating are also sharing their reasons for running, as well as what they want to see improved in the country’s justice system. 

Others also outlined different ways to acknowledge the symbolism of 2.23 miles for those unable to move today. 

In addition to the support shown through Friday’s runs, walks, jogs, and 2.23 oriented activities, others are supporting a GoFundMe campaign dubbed I Run With Maud. Donations are going to Arbery’s family in order to acquire necessary resources for the case. 

Akeem Baker, the GoFundMe’s organizer, wrote in the campaign’s description: “No one has the right to pursue, attack and kill an unarmed, non-threatening individual. Ahmaud’s voice will be heard.”