On February 23rd, just two days after the Brooklyn Friends School 11th grade returned from their Nobis Project field study experience “Race, Power, and the Preservation of African-American History & Gullah-Geechee Culture” in Savannah and on Sapelo Island, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man and Sapelo descendant was shot and killed by two white men while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. As a school community, we have been holding Ahmaud Arbery’s friends and family in light and love, and we have been inspired and moved by their powerful organizing to galvanize over 80,000 people through the IRunWithMaud campaign for justice.
On June 2nd, we are honored to welcome IRunWithMaud Committee Founding Members Akeem Baker, Demetris Frazier, Jason Vaughn, Josiah “Jazz” Watts, and Pastor John Richards to join us via Zoom and share their message with students and school communities across the country. They’ll speak with us about Ahmaud Arbery, their personal experiences in the aftermath of his murder, and what this tragic journey means for them and for all of us. Our guests will discuss their perspectives on systemic racism, policing, accountability, and justice in America – for Ahmaud and for all Black and Brown bodies. They will also emphasize what each of us – young and old – can actively do to seek justice and create change rather than sitting idly by.