The mother of Ahmaud Arbery has settled her dispute with a nonprofit foundation that was raising funds in his name. According to a recent press release, Wanda Cooper-Jones reached a resolution with the 2:23 Foundation without the hassle of a lawsuit and help from a judge and jury.
Per the terms of the agreement, the foundation — which was accused of robbing donors of $226,000 — will no longer use the 2:23 Foundation marks and will transfer the money raised to the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation — the newly established foundation Cooper-Jones plans to launch on May 8, her late son’s birthday.
“I want to thank the 2;23 Foundation for the advocacy work they have done so far for my son,” said Arbery’s mom. “And I’m glad that they will continue their efforts and honor a legacy of social justice in Black and Brown communities without using the 2:23 Foundation mark.”
“Our purpose when we started our efforts was to pursue justice for Ahmaud,” added 2:23 Foundation co-founder Demetris Frazier in a statement. “We’re grateful that the wheels of justice are in motion and are confident that we can continue to focus on changing systems here in Glynn County through joining other ongoing advocacy efforts.”
Cooper-Jones previously called out a few groups, including the 2:23 Foundation named after the day Arbery died, for profiting off of the death of her son, a jogger who was killed by residents who were recently charged with hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
“I could not remain silent, I not only speak for myself, but most importantly I speak for my son. What is important to me is to gain justice for my son and find peace,” she wrote back in September. “I am so disappointed that I must address this issue. The truth is I buried my son and there is nothing about a trademark, a social media page, money, or control that will fix that. I now must protect my son’s name.”
“The grief is a fight every day of my life. Fighting for justice is something I must do each day and every minute of the day. What I am experiencing is draining, but it is for my son. There is so much we experience after losses due to injustice. I am simply asking everyone to respect my wishes as they are always fair and in the best interest of my family and Ahmaud.”
Jones’ forthcoming Ahmaud Arbery Foundation — created in honor of her late son — will include scholarships for children of color and intiatives for community and criminal justice reform.