I’ve been waiting to write about the recent sentences given to Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan—the three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery. Partly because this horrific crime affected me so much, and it hurts to be reminded of why these three men have been on trial. The other part is because I, like so many in my community, have not yet learned how to fully embrace and celebrate justice. Sadly, we aren’t used to experiencing it.

So, I have waited. 

Waited for this reality to sink in. The fact that three white men who in February 2020 hunted down a young black boy and killed him—in broad daylight—were now two years later being given the maximum sentences for their cruel behavior. 

The fact.

Not the demands of infuriated protestors or the heartbroken pleas of Arbery’s family . . .

. . . the fact that in a time where most of the #saytheirnames victims have not received justice, respect, or dignity, Ahmaud Arbey has.

A predominantly white jury found these white men guilty of killing an unarmed black man, and on Jan. 7, 2022, a white judge gave them life sentences. And this happened in America? Talk about mind blowing.

It’s shameful that we as black folks have to wrap our heads around this because the idea of our nation’s judicial system serving us everything but justice is shocking. And surprising. And foreign.

So, I waited until I could fully grasp this act of justice for Arbery and his family. And while waiting I thought about time.

How many times black men and women have been senselessly murdered.
How many times the black community has had to hold their breath anticipating a verdict.
How many times the justice system has failed to value black life.

And as I thought about the men’s sentences, I thought about how their concept of time was about to drastically change. Life, with and without the ability of parole, is a long time. More than enough for each of these men to not only reflect on his actions that day, but also hopefully make the necessary changes in his heart to be delivered from every evil thought, bias, and assumption that motivated them to kill Ahmaud Arbery.

I hope Travis McMichael uses this time to get to the root of why he assumed the black man who had entered the under-construction home on February 11, 2020, was armed just because he reached into his pocket. I hope he also uses this time to think about why he failed to call the police about all the other people who had trespassed onto the property.

I hope Gregory McMichael spends his time realizing the grave mistake of lying to his son on February 23, 2020. Travis did “have a choice” just like both men had a choice not to assume the worst of Arbery and chase him down the street.

I am sure William “Roddie” Bryan will use his time regretting yelling “Y’all got him?” and using his car to trap Arbery. And I know he’ll spend even more time cursing himself for recording the video that ultimately sent them all to prison.

I hope all three men use their time to rethink self-defense, because there’s not much to defend when you’re armed and your group of three outnumbers the lone unarmed young man you all have encircled.

At the time of the sentencing, Gregory McMichael was 66, Travis was 35, and Roddie Bryan was 52. Life sentences will certainly be a long time for these men, not only for the McMichaels because they don’t have the possibility of parole but also for Bryan because he has to serve at least 30 years of his sentence.

And I thought about their pending time in prison as I’ve allowed all of this to sink in. I can imagine the challenges they’re going to face for the rest of their “new” lives.

However, whatever they endure fails to compare to what they did to Ahmaud Arbery. All three men will have plenty of time to rehearse regrets while navigating life in prison. They will now have to see their families through visitations and be ordered around by prison guards. They’ll no longer have the luxury of meeting friends for lunch or going to a football game.

In a sense, they will no longer be free.

But, unlike Ahmaud, they will be alive. He didn’t even get the luxury to see ages 35, 52, or 66.