Tag Archives: Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin, an African-American teenager, was shot dead by a “neighborhood watch” member as Trayvon was walking home from a convenience store. Trayvon was armed with nothing but a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles. A few days ago, Alan Grayson was invited on national TV to discuss the tragedy. This is what he said:

ED SCHULTZ: Welcome back to THE ED SHOW. Breaking news in the Trayvon Martin case tonight: ABC News has obtained video of George Zimmerman being brought into the Police Department on the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin.

I am joined by Alan Grayson, former Florida Congressman, who is from the Orlando area. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. You have been at these rallies for Trayvon all week, and have been paying close attention to the case.

What are your impressions of this police house videotape that was obtained tonight?

ALAN GRAYSON: Well, I think it blows apart the Zimmerman argument that he was acting out of fear rather than out of hatred. But I’ll tell you, I sometimes wonder why people think that’s some kind of good defense. I don’t believe it in his case. I think if you call someone an “F’ing coon,” then you’re animated by nothing but hatred.

But still he seems to be operating under the illusion that if he simply says that he feared, then somehow that excuses the death of a young boy. It doesn’t. It just doesn’t. The boy is dead. If you do the crime, you’re going to have to do the time.

SCHULTZ: Do you believe that this videotape is inconsistent with the police report?

GRAYSON: Yes, I’ve read the police report. I saw the tape. And I think there is an inconsistency.

SCHULTZ: And what would you be thinking right now if you were representing the Martin family in this case?

GRAYSON: I think that this tape proves their point. Zimmerman should, under no circumstances, be allowed to have a gun. It should have been taken from him a long time ago. And he should have been arrested a long time ago.

He should be tried. And it looks to me like he’ll be convicted.

SCHULTZ: Alan, what do you make of the police report and the listing of the deceased as a John Doe? The timing of the report, when it was put together and then released? There are many more questions here than answers, are there not?

GRAYSON: I think so. But, honestly, I don’t find much fault in what the police did, except for the fact that [Zimmerman] hasn’t been arrested yet. Zimmerman should have been arrested. That’s the main fly in the ointment at this point. Nobody who does anything like that should be allowed to walk the streets.

SCHULTZ: Are you bothered by the casualness of this videotape and how one of the officers seems to be searching the pockets of George Zimmerman?

GRAYSON: It bothers me to see Zimmerman acting as if nothing had happened. He killed a 17-year-old boy. He stalked and killed a 17-year-old boy. And it’s appalling to me to see the kind of casualness that that video displays.

SCHULTZ: Do you know the state’s attorney, Wolfinger, who recommended that they not press charges and told the lead investigator at the time not to go down that road?

GRAYSON: No. It’s a terrible mistake. And the law really does not give them the excuse to do that. They’re referring to what’s known as the “Hold Your Ground” or “Stand Your Ground” law, which I often refer to as the “Shoot To Kill” law. That’s a law that led to a tripling – a tripling – in so-called “justifiable homicides” in Florida from the year that it was enacted all the way to the present.

It’s a bad law, but it does not apply to this situation. It does not apply to chasing after someone and shooting him in the chest.

SCHULTZ: Would that be hard to prove with the Stand Your Ground law as maybe something the Zimmerman team would use as a defense?

GRAYSON: Listen, juries figure out that sort of thing, and things way more complicated than that sort of thing, all the time. There’s no way that Zimmerman can possibly argue that he was simply standing his ground. That law was meant to apply to people who are in their homes, maybe people in their cars, not people who are literally chasing someone around the neighborhood and then killing him.

SCHULTZ: And what do you make of the right-wing smear campaign that has been fostered by some on the right that, you know, this kid was suspended from school and he was somewhat troublesome, in defense of the actions of George Zimmerman?

GRAYSON: I think it shows that many on the right wing have a taste of blood in their mouths. They kind of like the idea of vigilantism, and this is perfect case for them.

SCHULTZ: And the Stand Your Ground law, it went into effect in 2005. There have been 93 cases, 65 deaths. Do you sense that this is a turning point in this country that maybe these kinds of laws will be repealed? Or do you see more of them coming? Because we all know that ALEC, it’s well-reported that ALEC and also the NRA have been pushing these laws on legislative sessions around this country.

GRAYSON: I think it’s a turning point that’s far more profound than that. I think we have to stop hating each other. And we have to start cherishing our differences.

The very notion that you would feel fear or hatred towards a boy who you never met in your entire life simply because he’s black is appalling. I thought that we had moved past that. It was almost 50 years ago that Martin Luther King said that he hoped his children would be judged [by the content of their character], not by the color of their skin. And we’re still waiting for that time to come.

SCHULTZ: Alan Grayson, thank you for your time tonight here on THE ED SHOW. I appreciate it.

To sign our petition, go to http://www.GraysonOnTrayvon.com.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Trayvon … Black History, a repost

02/26/2023 Nativegrl77

we’ll mourn the death of Trayvon Martin.

Please share this video and honor Trayvon’s memory by building a strong movement for justice.

George Zimmerman shot and killed 17 year-old Trayvon Martin because he thought the young man looked suspicious.¹ And one year later, what happened that night in Sanford, Florida still outrages us.

In a culture that inundates us with images of Black men as violent² — not to be trusted, inherently criminal — we are continually reminded that something as simple as walking home from the corner store can draw unwanted attention that puts our very lives in danger. Black Americans face racial animosity every day, and far too often that animosity turns violent.

Tomorrow as we mourn, we must also acknowledge that if it weren’t for the hundreds of thousands of you who spoke up to demand basic dignity and justice, Trayvon Martin’s case would have been ignored — and George Zimmerman would have gone free. As our membership grows in number, so does our power to fight injustice. Please inspire others to join the fight by sharing this video with your friends and family.

The movement that came together to demand justice for Trayvon demonstrates the power of our collective voice. It’s thanks to the pressure from more than 200,000 ColorOfChange members, the work of our allies and tireless advocacy of Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin that George Zimmerman will answer in a court of law for killing Trayvon Martin.³

ColorOfChange fights racial injustice and the danger it presents to our basic safety. We organize campaigns against racially-motivated police practices like the NYPD‘s Stop and Frisk.⁴ And we’re working to stop the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which pushed the “Shoot First” laws Zimmerman is using to claim his actions were justified.⁵

Our power comes from you, our members — courageous individuals from all walks of life who make bold demands and achieve important social change. Watch our powerful video about the campaign to demand justice for Trayvon Martin. Pledge to grow the movement to change our culture’s treatment of Black youth by sharing this video with your friends and family. Encourage them to join the fight.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Johnny, Lyla, Kim and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team February 26th, 2013

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter References

1. “Young, black and ‘suspicious’,” Salon, 03-20-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2282?t=9&akid=2828.1174326.taryav

2. “Opportunity for Black Men and Boys: Public Opinion, Media Depictions, and Media Consumption,” Opportunity Agenda, 11-30-11 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2280?t=11&akid=2828.1174326.taryav

3. “Trayvon Martin: The Latest, Week 33,” The Root, 10-18-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2284?t=13&akid=2828.1174326.taryav

4. “Hundreds Rally at City Hall to End Stop and Frisk,” ColorOfChange.org blog, 10-01-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2287?t=15&akid=2828.1174326.taryav

5. “Stand Against ‘Shoot First’ Laws,” ColorOfChange.org, 11-15-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2288?t=17&akid=2828.1174326.taryav

~ Culture & History

Civil Rights Groups Expect Swell of Support ~Black History Month

02/17/2021 Nativegrl77

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gestures during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Some at the National Urban League conference have called for another such march in the wake of the Trayvon Martin verdict and the Supreme Court's decision on the Voting Rights Act.

Leaders at the National Urban League convention say recent Voting

Rights Act decision and Trayvon Martin case have galvanized many

By Elizabeth Flock

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gestures during his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Some at the National Urban League conference have called for another such march in the wake of the Trayvon Martin verdict and the Supreme Court’s decision on the Voting Rights Act.

PHILADELPHIA – The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington was intended to be a look back on the historic march of 1963 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech during the height of the civil rights movement.

But the recent Supreme Court decision that struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act coupled with the “not guilty” verdict in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin has lent new urgency and more participants to the anniversary event, according to groups involved.

[PHOTOS: Joe Biden Leads Re-enactment of Voting Rights March]

In Philadelphia, where the National Urban League is holding its annual conference on Thursday and Friday, president Marc Morial says that both the conference and march have changed in focus and in tenor because of “what’s happened in the last 30 days.”

“The Voting Rights Act decision [and] the Trayvon Martin tragedy [have] created a different mood among the people who are here. It’s a different kind of focus in their hearts and minds,” he says. “It’s a different enthusiasm.”

Some of that emotion, he says, has shown itself in the form of renewed distrust in the criminal justice system. Several panels at the conference also expressed frustration with the Supreme Court. And in a speech at the conference Thursday morning, Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, was greeted by frustrated cheers when she told the crowd she’d better see them at the 50th anniversary march next month.

[READ: Holder Says Texas Must Get Pre-Approval Before Changing Voting Laws]

But Morial hopes those frustrations can be channeled into calls for action at the march: for a congressional fix to the Voting Rights Act, a hard look at the criminal justice system after the Trayvon Martin case and a plan for dealing with the lack of employment in minority communities.

The National Urban League is just one of some two dozen civil and human rights groups involved in the event. Five participating groups took part in the original 1963 march, but many more are new, including Rev. Al Sharpton‘s National Action Network, which has 40 chapters across the country, the National Council of Churches, which includes 100,000 local congregations, and the National Park Service.

“There were 250,000 people in 1963,” says Morial. “It remains to be seen this time… [But] these recent events have been encouragement for more people to attend.”

~ my 2cents ...

Stand Your Ground law – who is it really for?

06/13/2015 Nativegrl77

just another rant …

and in memory of things we must never ever forget 5/2012

Today, as we move into 2016 the death count of not only Black Men, Women but Young teens are experiencing Police Brutality still being judged by the colour of their skin not as human beings who may need to be spoken to NOT rounded up. Unfortunately, there is a group of officers who believe America wants “SoftPolicing” NO we want treatment that is equal to the offense just as we expect of all things re: the enforcement of the law! anyway, i needed to repost my thoughts

We all use that cliché …”life goes on” … right. I was able to do my thing though the killing of Trayvon absolutely affected me but not until the days worn on and the main stream media had more and more parents wanting to tell their TM stories do we see that something just is not right. Americans began to hear how this “Stand your Ground” law works, applied or abused in the same state and that was a sad awakening. Shortly after the death of TM, two stories that still bother me were exposed; the first one is about a white man who was able to use SYG after looking outside his window watching two black males attempting to steal from or his truck. The story that I heard is that he left his house shot them both, claimed SYG and while he was questioned he was not convicted and yes he was on his own property. The other story, is about a young black male who made a bad decision to go to a rave party, raided by the police. Yes, he was hiding on somebody’s property, until the chaos and police cleared out but then an older white man decided his domicile was under attack, calls the police who tell him not to go outside does and he shoots killing a 16yr old scared kid who had no gun and wasn’t trying to break in to this man’s house who successfully claims SYG. The big stink about these stories, is that these two white men from Florida claimed and were granted the use of that unknown law while an African American Floridian Mom of two is sentenced to 20yrs in prison for firing off a warning shot to scare her abusive husband. Reports are that Marissa had no arrest record and claimed self-defense. There was evidence of domestic violence by her husband and though the case was batted around for over a year due to the SYG law, Marissa was offered a deal to plead down to 3yrs. Ms. Alexander stated she was innocent, no one was hurt and the warning shot probably saved her life, Marissa’s use of SYG was denied. I cannot say I have read or listened to every story that is close or matches the Trayvon Martin case but my two stories here have a common denominator and that is most if not all who are denied the use of the “Stand Your Ground” law are all African Americans. This brings me to the Trayvon Martin care. We heard the reports that Zimmerman was not only a self-appointed block watch captain, he was a police wannabe who had priors, and it sounds like folks felt he was sort of a hothead. In my opinion, a piece of this tragic event is missing. We all know that he had been told, in my opinion … to stand down. I know too many people who feel as I do – that there are too many inconsistencies in what exactly happened on the night of and after Trayvon Martin died. I want to know who left the scene why the investigator who wanted GZ arrested got override and the way Mr. Bonaparte behaved was not only offensive it confirmed the “nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there” attitude. We have what seems to be a group of Floridian Police behaving badly, leading to questions about the loud noise of silence and the look of a conspiracy in the making… some call the Deep South.

The idea that a law pushed by a couple of interest groups makes me wonder how many cases since, or before Trayvon Martin was killed, got dumped by this FPD or the state. I will admit; I keep saying there is something missing, the timeline is wrong and as that feeling creeped up like it does with parents of color feel; one can only hope the authorities will overcome that seemingly overwhelming lack of cohesive evidence to one of slow contemplation of right and wrong. The idea that “ stand your ground” is being claimed by Zimmerman in this case is not only offensive it does not seem to fit the description, even the folks who created “Stand your Ground” feel this law cannot be applied to the Trayvon Martin case.

I know what everyone else knows about the Trayvon Martin case. I accept that there is information that no civilian has access to; hope that prosecutors will exercise a good faith effort to make sure the person responsible; the person who was reckless, gets charged and jailed. I feel, according to the tapes and it is only my opinion but it sounded like Zimmerman stalked and killed TM because he looked shady and we all know that is not enough for a reasonably sane person to use as an excuse to kill. It was raining thus TM had a hoodie on and while gz is stalking Trayvon is telling his girlfriend someone was following him. The fact is the dispatcher told Zimmerman not to follow because they were on their way, yet he disobeys. I ask anyone reading this, why didn’t Zimmerman acknowledge himself while playing police officer or could it be maybe those %$&#@ always get away and wasn’t having any of it that night then claimed “Stand Your Ground”. We now know that the NRA and ALEC are associated with the “Stand your ground” law. I think this unknown law needs to be revisited reformed or dumped because it works — just not for African Americans. I have to say that since the death of Trayvon Martin it is eerie to hear so many examples of how the law works against people of color, specifically Black folks; Trayvon’s Mom stood up and rightly stated this was about right and wrong though Zimmerman’s own comments on that tape say much much more.

If you are in NYC, Please go the celebration !

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

DOJ’s Zimmerman investigation calling for public comment

08/06/2013 Nativegrl77 6 Comments

More than 71,500 ColorOfChange members have demanded that the U.S. Department of Justice‘s criminal civil-rights section bring federal charges against George Zimmerman, who has yet to face any legal consequences for profiling and killing Trayvon Martin. The DOJ’s civil rights investigation, launched after Trayvon’s death last spring, remains open,¹ and the Department is now actively seeking public input on how it should proceed.²

This week, we’re planning to deliver tens of thousands of powerful comments from ColorOfChange members like you urging the DOJ to do what’s right — so we only have a few days left to get the word out about the Department’s call for public comment. Can you take a moment to sign the petition to the DOJ, and to include a personalized comment when you do?

Thanks,

Rashad Robinson Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org

References

1. “Eric Holder says he shares concerns about Trayvon Martin case,” Washington Post, 07-15-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2841?t=2&akid=3091.1174326.KVoDw6

2. “Justice Dept. collecting public feedback on Zimmerman case,” Washington Post, 07-17-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2847?t=4&akid=3091.1174326.KVoDw6

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Today, admitted killer George Zimmerman is a free man.

media outside Zimmerman pretrial hearing

Join the movement to end the senseless violence perpetrated by unaccountable vigilantes and police due to racial profiling: demand federal civil rights charges be brought against Zimmerman.

Dear Friends

George Zimmerman stalked and killed Trayvon Martin in late February of last year. It took 45 days for Sanford, Florida police to arrest 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s admitted killer — and only 16 hours for jurors to acquit him of second-degree murder and manslaughter last night.¹

We are angry. We are sad. And we are in pain.

We send our love and support to Trayvon’s parents — Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin — and we grieve with them and the countless other families of Black children who have been killed just for being Black.²

In this time of national sorrow, let’s turn our rightful frustration into action and grow a movement to hold the criminal justice system that fails Black Americans every day³ accountable.

Since the beginning, the Department of Justice has closely monitored the state’s case against George Zimmerman, and the DOJ can still bring charges against Trayvon’s killer. Please join us in calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to bring federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, and help us strengthen our efforts to end racial profiling and the violence it creates.

What does it say about our society when a civilian can shoot and kill a Black child who is just walking home from the store, and what can it mean when the killer is set free? What does this say about the value our society places on the lives of young Black children? It tells us that a Black life has little worth. It tells us that Black youth are seen as nothing more than violent criminals.⁴ And it tells us how much more work we must do to achieve a just society.

The police department in Sanford botched the investigation from start to finish.⁵ But we did not stay silent. Had it not been for the dedicated activism and work of Trayvon’s family, ColorOfChange members and countless others, Zimmerman may have never been arrested — let alone gone to trial. Our collective commitment to fight for justice for Trayvon was overwhelming. We responded. We organized. We forced authorities to make an arrest in a case that easily could have been forgotten, just like so many before. The US Department of Justice was forced to intervene, and although it took 45 days, Zimmerman was eventually arrested and charged with murder.⁶

Thousands of ColorOfChange members spoke out against Florida’s “Shoot First” law, which initially shielded George Zimmerman from arrest and prosecution.⁷ The shadowy lobbying organization the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — and its deep-pocketed supporters at the National Rifle Association (NRA) — proliferated these laws around the country. Since ColorOfChange began drawing attention to ALEC’s role in crafting these deadly Shoot First laws, 52 corporations and nonprofits and at least 70 state legislators have publicly disavowed any relationship with the group.⁸

Working together, our movement is a powerful force for change. Please join us in calling for an end to impunity. Demand that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against George Zimmerman. And when you take action, please ask your family and friends to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Jamar, Aimée and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team August 5th, 2013