Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, has come out with a public condemnation of multiple people who she says are profiting off the death of her son.
Obtained by TMZ, Cooper-Jones' entire letter on that topic can be read here, which is what I would personally suggest. But we'll also do our best to summarize her grievances.
First, she says she's upset with the "I RUN WITH MAUD" social media page. She says she was in support of it at first, because she saw it as a memorial creating awareness for her late son (which is what she says she agreed to). She says she then saw it transition into a business, which is what she takes issue with, and that she and her daughter took this up with the administrators. She says they assured her it would change, but that no change has come. She also says she asked for administrative access, and was denied.
Her second quarrel is with the "I RUN WITH MAUD" trademark. She says she never agreed to that, nor was she asked to be a part of it. As she wrote: "One of the trademark applicants had never even met my son, yet applied for this trademark in an attempt to profit off Ahmaud’s name."
She is also publicly criticizing a GoFundMe that was setup after Arbery's death made national headlines. She says she didn't ask for that to be put up, but that she was thankful to those who made donations to the fund. She says it was suggested to her by a friend of Ahmaud's whom she subsequently trusted to run it "appropriately."
"The campaign was established in early May, after Ahmaud was laid to rest," Cooper-Jones writes. "Ahmaud was covered under a life insurance policy that I struggled to pay for to prepare for days like these. I truly never thought I would have to use that policy or bury my son. Money cannot replace what I have lost and the fight for justice does not come without cost. I was not begging for money and I was prepared to fight for my son either way. I have always worked for what I wanted. Since the passing of Ahmaud, I have returned to work because to work is all I know. To hear some people suggest that losing my son is a profit scheme is incredibly offensive to me and my family."
In addition to those issues she also called out the 2:23 Foundation, which was named for the date of Arbery's death. That foundation was established by a local high school coach, Jason Vaughn, who Cooper-Jones says Arbery "did not have a close relationship with."
As she sums things up:
"The ideas for the foundation likely started after national attention began to spread due to our advocacy efforts. Within seven days of the foundation’s launch, its organizers had already planned a large fundraiser.
The I RUN FOR MAUD committee (all five members who I do not know well) have known for months I did not want my child’s death to be exploited or used for monetary gain for anyone. I was disrespected and ignored."
Cooper-Jones adds that she's "disappointed" that she even has to address these issues, and that she just "wants to gain justice for my son and find peace."
Again, you can read her whole letter here. Again, would recommend that.
