Remembering Trayvon Martin: His Death Built A Movement

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Remembering Trayvon Martin: His Death Built A Movement

February 28th, 2016

Awake Goy

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Above: Second Annual Trayvon Martin Peace Walk in Miami Gardens.

It was four years ago on this very day that an unforeseen incident would be the catalyst to start a national movement. On the evening of February 26, in Sanford, Fla., a 28-year-old man with a gun, got out of his truck, confronted, chased, and then shot and killed a 17-year-old unarmed Black kid. Young Trayvon Martin was merely walking home from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona Iced Tea.

In the months and years to follow, the tragic death of Trayvon has set off a national conversation about racial profiling and the role race played in the death of this young man. Trayvon’s death, and those of other young black men, has served as a catalyst for a new generation of activists that seek to dismantle the structures that target and criminalize black youth. New organizations have been formed, new leaders have emerged, the spirit of resistance has been given a reboot, and a new modern day civil rights movement has emerged.

The question at the center of this movement is, “What does the world look like when Black Lives Matter?” Not just in terms of policing, which has become a major focus in the wake of the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New York City, Tamir Rice in Cleveland, or Freddie Gray in Baltimore, but in all areas of our society. What does education look like when Black lives matter? What does economic opportunity look like when Black lives matter? What does the criminal justice look like when Black lives really matter?

Source Article from https://www.popularresistance.org/remembering-trayvon-martin-his-death-built-a-movement/