Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, is speaking out to slam Kanye West over his “White Lives Matter” stunt.
As we previously reported, the rapper and designer debuted the now-controversial shirt during his Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris. Kanye was joined by political commentator Candace Owens who also wore the same shirt in white. Following a wave of backlash, Ye doubled down on his beliefs by referring to the Black Lives Matter movement as a sham.
In a post to his fans on Instagram, Kanye stated: “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam now it’s over you’re welcome.” Hitting back at his remarks, Wanda Cooper-Jones told @RollingStone in a statement through her attorney that West’s actions were ultimately disappointing. Her attorney Lee Merritt said, “As a result of his display ‘White Lives Matter’ started trending in the U.S., which would direct support and legitimize extremist behavior, [much] like the behavior that took the life of her son,” Cooper-Jones relayed via Merritt. “That is the thing that Wanda and families like hers continue to fight against.”
Merritt went on to say, “This mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement and his now denunciation of the movement as some sort of hoax flies directly in the face [of what he’s said,]” the statement added. “It’s confusing for her, it’s confusing for the families to receive his support privately, but publicly to set us all back.”
What Happened To Ahmaud Arbery?
RELATED: 3 Men Who Killed Ahmaud Arbery Found Guilty Of Federal Hate Crimes
Arbery, a young Black man, was shot dead February 23, 2020, in a confrontation with Travis and Gregory McMichael in the neighborhood of Satilla Shores, outside the city of Brunswick in Georgia’s lowcountry.
Earlier this year, a jury had determined that the three white men — Travis McMichael, 36; his father, Gregory McMichael, 66; and their neighbor William Bryan, 52 — were motivated by racism when they chased Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, through their neighborhood and shot him down. They were each convicted of a federal hate crime.
A federal judge sentenced two of the Georgia men to life in prison on Aug. 8 for the pursuit and slaying of Ahmaud Arbery. The third man was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Arbery’s horrific slaying was captured in a graphic cellphone video that sparked widespread outrage in part because local prosecutors had not initially filed criminal charges. his tragic killing became part of a larger national protest over racial injustice and killings of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.
RELATED: Man Who Fatally Shot Ahmaud Arbery Fears He’ll Be Killed In Prison
Source