We have to always be critical of the authorities that are supposed to bring justice, because so many find their roots in white supremacy, slavery, and Jim Crow. One agency with racist roots in the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) is now investigating a devastating incident that has outraged us all.
The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery shocked many. The corruption of the local district attorney prevented the assailants, one of whom was a former cop, from initially being arrested, but now the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is taking over - but that’s not a relief for Black people.
The GBI has roots in the KKK. According to the Intercept, Sam Roper, one of the agency’s earliest directors, “was a local Klan leader when he took over the GBI” and “became an Imperial Wizard of the KKK in 1949.” That legacy is not a thing of the past for many reasons.
The KKK has long been a part of law enforcement in Georgia and throughout the South. White supremacists have long been a major part of all parts of the criminal justice system, and still hold roles throughout it from top to bottom. The GBI’s history tells us a lot.
When we’re looking to authorities for accountability, their pasts have everything to do with our future. The reason Ahmaud Arbery’s lynching was going to go unpunished was because of racism from authorities, so we shouldn’t be suprised if other agencies don’t deliver either.