Deaconess Valencia Jacobs introduced Wanda Cooper-Jones as a resilient woman who turned "a moment of hate into a movement of love."
Amidst the grief and tragedy she has endured over the last four years following her son's murder, Cooper-Jones remains faithful and grateful. She addressed the congregation by saying, "I am just a child of God whose prayers were answered."
Cooper-Jones lost her son, Ahmaud Arbery, to a senseless murder on February 23, 2020, when he was gunned down as he was jogging through a Brunswick neighborhood. She recalls relying on her faith to navigate this new tragic terrain, saying, "I remembered that God would not bring you to anything that He will not take you through."
Cooper-Jones was born and raised in Brunswick, GA, where she attended church growing up. In February 2019, she made the decision to rededicate her life to the Lord, just a year before her precious son would be taken so violently from her.
Cooper-Jones recounted the events that led up to Arbery's murder. Out of town for training, she admits the day of Arbery's death felt "kind of off." Not too long after expressing that she felt ill to her mother and returning from a shopping trip, Cooper-Jones said she received a phone call, one that would change life as she knew it.
Arbery's mother says she was led to believe her son had committed a burglary and was confronted by the homeowner, but, in time, she realized that story was not accurate.
"There was newspaper articles stating that Ahmaud wasn't in a home; he was actually shot and killed on a public street. I want to remind you guys it was 74 days - 73 nights - before we got an arrest for the murder of Ahmaud," Cooper-Jones says. "And church, when I tell you, those days were dark, very, very dark, because I knew we had to get justice for Ahmaud."
Cooper-Jones's activism for her son's legacy led to House Bill 426, Georgia's first hate crime legislation in 2020 and the repeal of the Georgia's Citizen's Arrest Law in 2021.
"I wanted justice for my son; that's all I wanted," she says.
Out of reformed legislation also came the creation of The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, an organization Cooper-Jones started to honor Arbery's love of running and use it to create a safe space for young African American boys to run. In addition, The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation emphasizes physical and metal wellness while keeping Arbery's memory alive.
Cooper-Jones credits her faith with keeping her strong in the days since Arbery's death.
"Please continue to keep me in your prayers; last week it was four years that I lost Ahmaud and it is hard some days, and it is hard many nights because regardless of who's in prison, my son is gone," she said. "I do know that he's home with the Lord and that's what keeps me calm."
In her closing remarks, Cooper-Jones reminded the congregation to continue to believe. "Be encouraged when the days are dark. Stay encouraged and always know God is always on time."
For more information about The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, please visit their website.
