In September 2021, Jay-Z’s legal team made two pleas to free Valon Vailes, a Black man sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for marijuana possession with intent to distribute in North Carolina. The rapper’s social justice efforts have received mass publicity, and with his platform, he had the perfect opportunity to highlight Arbery’s case again on Oct. 30.
Just like Meryl Streep used her lifetime achievement acceptance speech at the 2017 Golden Globes to confront President Donald Trump’s policy on immigration. Or how the following year, Oprah Winfrey, confronted the racism and sexism in the 1944 alleged rape of Recy Taylor, a Black woman in Alabama, by six White men who were never prosecuted.
Jay-Z’s failure to mention Arbery was a missed opportunity. Mentioning Arbery is still important so the world doesn’t forget two parents are living a constant nightmare with fears of it getting worse, depending upon the verdicts in the trial.
Attorney Mawuli Davis said the one thing the Black community must do during the trial is continue to show up.
Continue to mention Arbery’s name. Not just when he’s a trending topic, but every day until justice is served.
