The Georgia legislature passed a hate crime bill on Tuesday which, pending legal review, will head to Governor Brian Kemp's office to be officially signed into law.
"We are thrilled that this [hate crimes] law has finally passed after years of advocacy, but let's be clear — we will not forget that this bill only came to light after 14 years of delays under Republican leadership, the murder of black men before our eyes, and the pain of marginalized communities across our state," they said in a statement obtained by CBS News.
Although nationwide protests have picked up since the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, earlier this year, a Georgia town was the scene of a heinous crime which to most, had glaring racial implications.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones urged the state to pass a hate crime bill June 9 in a New York Times video op-ed.
"If Georgia had a hate crime law, Ahmaud’s killers could face additional sentences for murdering my son for the color of his skin.
