On February 26th in Sanford, Florida, Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American boy, was dropped off at his father’s fiancé’s house. That evening, Martin walked to the local convenience store across the street from the predominately white neighborhood, wearing a hoodie and jeans, to retrieve Skittles and an Arizona. It is the story following the trip to the local store that sparked nationwide outrage.
According to several eyewitnesses, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old self-appointed neighborhood watchman, shot Trayvon Martin for no apparent reason. After calling the police reporting a “suspicious guy” who “looks like he’s on drugs, or something” and being advised by the dispatcher not to follow the suspicious male, Zimmerman pursued Martin. Following a few minutes of stalking, Trayvon Martin ends up dead. Witnesses report hearing a single shot, then Trayvon Martin screaming for help, a second shot rang, and the screaming stopped. Zimmerman has not been arrested solely based off of “Stand Your Ground” law, stating that a person has the right to “use force against force with immunity from criminal persecution” IF a person thinks that their life is in danger. The Sanford police released Zimmerman based on Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin after Martin attacked him from behind and beat his head into the pavement, resulting in a broken nose.
In response to this event the students at UGA came together to mourn the death of Trayvon Martin. With the launch of the twitter campaign, “#Dawgs4Trayvon”, “#DoWeLookSuspicious”, and “AllBlackEverything”, the students sought to bring awareness to this case. On March 23 students silently assembled on the Tate Student Center lawn dressed in all black and armed with Trayvon Martin’s “weapon”, Skittles and an Arizona. As people walked through the sea of black, the protesters handed out flyers in an effort to give information on the case and the silent protest. The eerie silence gave time for the participating students to reflect on the situation and a moment for bystanders to notice the situation. The protestors wanted to make sure that people understood that this is not a racial issue, but a human rights issue that everyone needs to be aware of.
Americans everywhere are turning to social media and protests to share their feelings about the situation. With the release of several dispatcher tapes, and the tape of Zimmerman himself arriving to the police station, without any blood or a broken nose, people are starting to form their own ideas and theories for exactly went down that night. Skittles and Arizonas and hoodies are being used to symbolize the movement “I am Trayvon Martin”. With support from celebrities such as Chris Brown and the entire Cleveland Cavaliers team, the Trayvon Martin case is starting catch speed within social media. Bill Clinton hopes that this case leads to the revision of “Stand Your Ground” law. President Obama put everything in perspective with the simple statement, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin.”
Many students at UGA are making an effort to become a part of the nation-wide effort to bring Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teen, and his family justice by asking for the arrest, trial, and prosecution of George Zimmerman.
Below are links to the dispatcher tapes from both Zimmerman’s point of view and a neighbor’s point of view:
*Photos Courtesy of Breonah Brown Photography