Ahmaud Arbery’s sister, Jasmine Arbery, is celebrating her success after graduating with her master’s degree from Albany State University.
“Whew! A journey is not great unless you find what you seek,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram page. “My journey was filled with many challenges that included working two jobs, a natural disaster, the tragic loss of my brother, a pandemic, giving birth, anxiety, grief and issues with my financial aid.
"But I am proud to say those challenges equal the factors that will make me an excellent therapist. I have the opportunity to offer support based on real life experiences. In just a few days I will be graduating with a Master’s degree specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling! ???? I ooze #BlackGirlMagic,” she continued.
The recent grad also received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the university and was recognized for having the highest GPA in the department, according to the Georgia NAACP.
Jasmine also shared that she’s devoting her specialized degree to her little brother, who was fatally gunned down last year in a Georgia neighborhood at the age of 25.
“I dedicate this degree to my brother #AhmaudArbery,” she continued, adding that the graduation ceremony is being held on Ahmaud’s birthday.
At the end of April, the three white men involved in Arbery’s case were indicted on federal charges consisting of one count each of interference of rights and attempted kidnapping, as Blavity previously reported.
The men also face charges for felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal contempt to commit a felony.
“This has been a long run, a long time, it feels like it’s been a long time, so this day was a turning point in terms of recovering my brother’s case and getting justice for him, so we’re relieved and happy,” Jasmine told
Chris Cuomo on the CNN show Cuomo Prime Time about the indictment.
“I was always proud to be his older sister. He was easygoing, loving, generous, humorous and overall what he showed that day, he was brave. Just an overall good person,” she shared.
Jasmine also revealed that Ahmaud planned to continue his education and aspired to be an electrician.
After police accused Ahmaud of burglary, Lee Merritt, the family’s attorney, said those allegations were unfounded.
“There’s nothing that's going to connect Ahmaud, the victim, to any criminal behavior, certainly nothing that is going to lead to his death,” Merritt said in the interview with Cuomo.
Prior to his fatal encounter, the 25-year-old stopped by a property that was under construction in the neighborhood, something that many residents did because it was a “peculiarity,” according to Merritt.
“As you can imagine, if he entered the property that wasn’t his that was under construction, arguably it’s a trespass, but nothing that would warrant a citizen’s arrest and certainly not a death sentence…there is nothing that substantiates the claim that Ahmaud was involved in anything nefarious,” he added.
One year after Ahmaud’s death, his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, talked about the pain she’s felt since her son was murdered.
"I cannot [move on,]" Cooper-Jones told Harper's Bazaar. "I try, but when I laid Ahmaud to rest last February, a part of me left also. It's painful."
In Georgia, calls for legislation to reevaluate the foundations and consequences of hate crimes after Ahmaud’s death helped the state successfully repeal its 1863 citizen’s arrest law. The law imposes greater penalties on those who commit crimes based on race, gender, sexual orientation and more.
Cooper-Jones said that the new legislation demonstrates how Georgia is moving in the right direction.
"Unfortunately, I had to lose my son to get significant change,” Cooper-Jones said, according to NPR. But again, I'm still thankful."
