BRUNSWICK, Ga. – It’s hard to talk about Brunswick without remembering Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old murdered while jogging in a neighborhood near his home in 2020.
His killing — captured on video and shared across the nation — sparked outrage, protests, and a demand for justice that resonated far beyond Coastal Georgia.
Just last week, a federal appeals court upheld the hate-crime convictions of Gregory and Travis McMichael, the father and son who chased and killed Arbery in 2020. Both remain in prison for life, along with William “Roddie” Bryan, the man who filmed the encounter.
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More than five years have passed, but the weight of that day still hangs heavy over the community.
I met with Ahmaud’s father, Marcus Arbery, and his aunt, Diane Jackson, for an emotional and candid conversation inside Marcus’ home — a space filled with photos of Ahmaud and memories of the son, nephew, and young man they say the world truly never got to know.
‘I looked at it one time…’
The video of Arbery’s murder remains one of the most disturbing and defining images of the case.
For Marcus Arbery, reliving it is unbearable.
“Oh God, I looked at it one time and my daughter said she’d like to kill me,” Marcus said. “To see her brother gunned down like that… like an animal. And then y’all let him lay in the street till he died. You wouldn’t treat a dog like that.”
He said the trauma of seeing his son’s final moments will never leave him.
“They told me to calm down. That’s my child on that ground. I ain’t calming down nothing. I’m not gonna ever calm down till I’m dead.”
Diane Jackson, Ahmaud’s aunt, has a different relationship with the video — one that brings her a sense of clarity, even if painful.
“Sometimes when you look at it, it gives you peace because you know who did it,” she said. “That’s why I look at it — because it gives me peace knowing they’re where they need to be.”
A family still searching for understanding
Despite the convictions and the national attention, both Marcus and Diane say some people in Brunswick still believe the killing was justified — something they say is deeply hurtful and impossible to comprehend.
“People still think this is nothing we should talk about,” Diane said. “We have to talk about it. If we don’t, this stuff will kill us.”
Faith, they say, is what carries them through the pain.
“God told me to sit still,” Marcus said. “He told me this is His fight. Because those men — they’ve got to suffer every day behind what they did to my baby.”
Diane believes Ahmaud’s bravery in his final moments fuels their purpose today.
“He was running for his life, and none of us were at the end of that road,” she said. “He fought until he couldn’t fight anymore. And that’s why I fight for this community — because as long as I live, y’all are going to remember Ahmaud Arbery.”
Keeping Ahmaud’s legacy alive through service
Every month, the family does something in Ahmaud’s honor — whether it’s a community giveaway, a coat distribution, or events held in Ahmaud Arbery Park.
“We gave out about 200 coats this week and last week,” Diane shared. “Hats, gloves — giving back to show the people who supported us that we appreciate it. But it’s still a struggle every day.”
They also host a monthly community bike ride around the 23rd — the day Ahmaud was killed — to bring people together in unity and remembrance.
When asked how the community can continue to support them, Diane says the answer is simple:
“When we’re out in that park doing ‘Memories of Maud,’ just come stand with the family,” she said. “It don’t matter if you’re white, Black — we even have Mexicans out there. Let’s bring this community back together. Come remember Ahmaud Arbery with us.”
A Thanksgiving of service
This year, the family will again welcome residents to Ahmaud Arbery Park on Thanksgiving Day, serving meals to those in need — another act of giving rooted in the love they continue to carry for Ahmaud.
Five years later, their message remains clear: healing takes time, justice is ongoing, and Ahmaud’s memory lives on through community, compassion, and the fight for a better Brunswick.