Posted on 05/10/2015 9:26:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s been three years since Sybrina Fulton’s son was shot and killed by a vigilante neighbor in Florida. Now, she says, after seeing what’s happened to other young black unarmed men, it’s never been clearer that Trayvon’s skin color led to him being profiled and killed.
“It was not about that hoodie, and I need to tell you that,” Fulton told a standing room only crowd in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “It was absolutely about the color of his skin.”
Fulton, who became an activist against gun violence after Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, spoke during a discussion hosted by Manifest Justice, a week-long art exhibition centered around justice. The line of 1,000 people waiting to hear Fulton speak went around the block, with some people standing up to two hours in line on an unusually cold day.
“It’s about admitting when we have a problem,” Fulton told the crowd. “Collectively, we have a problem that we need to fix. It’s time to stop pretending we don’t have an issue.
“My son is not here to speak for himself. I am Trayvon Martin,” she said.
Through her Trayvon Martin Foundation, Fulton works with other mothers who have lost their sons to senseless gun violence, helping them to heal and training them to become advocates in their own communities to end gun violence. Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, has a similar program working with fathers who have lost sons to gun violence.
She has also spoken out about “stand your ground” laws, the state-level laws that allow a person to use deadly force in self-defense. George Zimmerman, the man who killed her son, told a courtroom he shot Martin because he feared for his own life.
“Prior to this happening to my son I didn’t know anything about ‘stand your ground,’ and I think people are more aware of these types of laws and racial profiling and the disparities we have here in the United States,” told Fusion before the discussion, which was moderated by actress Rosario Dawson.
“I just think it’s unfortunate that a person has to lose their life in order for us to uncover certain things,” she said.
The event was co-hosted with the human rights group Amnesty International’s Art for Amnesty initiative, which uses art to call attention to social issues, and the California Endowment, a foundation that provides grants to community groups throughout the state.
Fulton still resides in Miami Gardens, where Trayvon Martin went to high school. She says the community has supported the family through this journey, though she said she’s most often stopped by people who recognize her when she’s traveling through airports.
“I grew up in the area and people know I haven’t changed any. It’s just the work that I do in the community that’s changed,” she said.
1. ‘George Zimmerman (GZ) racially profiled Trayvon Martin (TM)’ There is no evidence of this.
2. ‘GZ disobeyed an order by the police’ * The civilian dispatcher, Sean Noffke, testified that he did not give GZ an order and, in fact, he, like his fellow dispatchers, are trained not make comments that sound like commands. * Noffke also testified under cross that, as a result of his asking GZ which way TM was going, GZ could have reasonably interpreted this as being asked to follow Martin. * It is also not a crime in Florida to disregard a comment made by a civilian dispatcher.
3. ‘GZ got out of his car’ Not a crime on public property and not negligent either.
4. ‘GZ followed TM’ Again, anyone can follow anyone on a public street unless the followee has obtained a restraining order against the follower and even there, the order only places time, place, and manner restrictions on the person enjoined.
5. ‘GZ wasn’t really injured’ * Under Florida’s self-defense laws, one doesn’t have to be injured AT ALL to use deadly force * No one is required to refrain from defending himself while another is engaged in or attempting to commit a felony.
6. ‘TM is dead through no fault of his own’ * If you believe that TM assaulted GZ, then he IS dead as a result of his own actions.
7. ‘GZ could have left’ * Under Florida law, there is not a duty to withdraw rather than use deadly force * TM was straddling GZ so how the latter was supposed to leave the scene is unanswered.
8. ‘GZ was armed and TM wasn’t’ * One’s fists can be considered weapons and can result in severe bodily harm or death. * GZ was legally carrying a weapon * There is no requirement under the law that the same weapon be used by the assailant * A homeowner can kill an intruder whether or not he has been threatened * Those that attack cannot feign surprise if they are met with superior firepower.
9. ‘Stand Your Ground!’ * SYG is NOT at issue in this trial. * The defense is a classic self-defense case.
10. ‘Black men NEVER get to use SYG!’ * Wrong http://tinyurl.com/nboht35
11. ‘GZ is a man and TM was a boy!’ * As if ‘boys’ don’t commit murder, rape, and assault everyday in this country.
She can’t spell “collectively”.
Sybrina, Your son was about to go make some purple drank (or lean). Don’t blame us for your failure.
Maybe if she were a better parent, her spawn would still be alive.
‘Nuff said there ^^^^^ - just the ghetto version of MO’s speech at Tuskegee, no real difference, IMO.
Sabrina Fulton did not raise Trayvon full time past the age of 2. Part of the reason he was going down the wrong road in life is due to the fact that he was raised and neglected in ad hoc circumstances. If this woman had cared about him and took care of him when he was alive, it’s possible he wouldn’t have become a gang banger in training.
Well now,what about the Police Officers being targeted by the. Black criminals.
If. The blacks were educated and had a job, maybe thety would not be in trouble all the time.
There are none so blind as those who will not see,,,
Thanks to Brother George, collectively we have one less problem...
He was and is worth more to her dead than alive.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
...whatever .....
She’s much more involved with her son now that he’s dead. Alive, he was uncontrollable. Dead, he’s very malleable.
Nothing but lies and cognitive dissonance in that screed.
Yeah, and TM was four inches taller and almost as heavy as GZ. He was a fan of mixed martial arts and was younger and in much better shape GZ. Helpless little boy, my eye.
Great summary, thx. Snagged it. Saved it.
Where’s the barf alert?
Article conveniently doesn’t mention that she gets something like $10-15K per speaking engagement either.
Lady, your son was a sociopath and a thug. Deal with it.
> “It was absolutely about the color of his skin.”
So that’s why he attacked someone! Thanks for clearing that up. /s
Hey ya big dummy - it’s because he attacked someone that he got shot. Maybe you should have been a better parent.
her son wasn’t even in her custody...bet her Foundation is a money maker for her.
I feel bad for Trayvon. His parents created a dysfunctional environment which doomed him when he didn’t rise above it to better himself. Of course the parents will never admit their role in this tragedy.
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