Trayvon, Martin, By Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Benjamin Martin was a 17 year old African American from Miami Gardens, Florida. He was badly shot by George Zimmerman; a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman called 911 to report that there was “suspicious person” walking through the neighborhood. He was told to not do anything, but he did anyway. As he approached Martin, he attacked him and shot him straight to the heart. According to CNN, “Zimmerman acknowledges that he shot Martin, claiming it was in self-defense.” (“Trayvon Martin Shooting Fast Facts”). When the case was taken to court George Zimmerman was found not guilty even after he

Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born Michael Luther King Jr. he was the second child of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr and Alberta Williams King. Growing up, he attended Booker T. Washington High School. He skipped the ninth and the twelfth grade. He went to Morehouse College at the age of 15 without graduating from high school. Later, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. He became a minister at the age of 18. He was ordained in his father’s church. He later married Coretta Scott and they had two sons and two daughters. Martin Luther king lived a rough journey.

On the night of his death, February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was in Sanford, Florida on a visit to his father's fiancee and her son at The Retreat at Twin Lakes. As Zimmerman noticed him he called the police non-emergency number to report a suspicious person in community, describing Martin as a very suspicious guy reporting that he had his hand in waistband and was walking around looking at homes. Also, Zimmerman is quoted saying that “he is just walking around looking about in the rain”, and “This guy looks like he is up to no good or he is on drugs or something”(Wikipedia). Although the way he described him led to think of what view Zimmerman had of innocent, unarmed Trayvon who seemed like any other teenager walking about on the way

One night in a Florida gated community a young man named Trayvon Martin, was walking down the streets of a mostly white community, stopped by George Zimmerman who was a neighborhood watch resident.Mr. Martin was stopped for being “suspicious” and “up to no good” according to Mr.Zimmerman. Trayvon was fatally shot by Mr. Zimmerman out of “self defense”. Really “Self defense” he was carrying a bag of skittles and a Arizona Tea. This young man was nothing but harmless but was victimed for being African-American.George Zimmerman would rather later stand trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin was found not guilty,until April 2012 he was found guilty of second degree murder.Although there are positives and negatives of this argument, the Black Lives

Martin, while staying with his father and stepmother, walked to the local 7-11 for snacks, famously depicted in social media as Skittles and Arizona Ice Tea. On his journey back, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whose hoodie was up; Zimmerman then called the police to consult law enforcement officers on how to approach the “suspicious” character. The Sanford Police advised against confrontation, but Zimmerman took matters into his own hands, and proceeded to pursue Martin, fire his weapon, and kill the seventeen-year-old (“Trayvon Martin”). Martin was declared dead when the police arrived at the scene, where Zimmerman stood with the act as self-defense (“The Trayvon Martin Case”). This case was very controversial in that Martin was fired upon without any real threat towards Zimmerman, leading to accusations of racial profiling of black youths. To make matters worse, Zimmerman was found not guilty, due to lack of sufficient evidence, and acquitted of the second-degree murder charges (“Trayvon Martin”). This caused major unrest throughout the nation, sparking outrage and protests among many African Americans and equal rights advocates, alike. Critics of Zimmerman not only call foul on

Trayvon Martin was a 17- year- old African America from Miami Gardens Florida. He was born Feb, 26, 1995 in Florida and he died Feb, 26, 2012 in Sanford, Fl. He was 5’11 and he had 3 siblings.

Just for wearing a hoodie, carrying an Arizona Tea and for being black he was shot and killed. In the book “Deadly Injustice: Travyon Martin, Race, and the Criminal Justice System“ the authors go on to discuss what happened that night and in the trial that preceded. It also helped me deliberate with how certain deaths are portrayed online. This being one of the biggest cases to hit the news and was brought to almost everyone in the United States attention, even the President at the time made a statement about what had happened to this young man. Social media spreaded this article like a wildfire and soon everyone knew what had happened that night in Florida. One of the main reasons why it was difficult to convict Zimmerman of this crime was because of the “Stand your ground” law After this the tension between black males and police officers rose to an even higher extent. African Americans often feel as if they are treated by police unfairly and with situations like this happening it help supported how they felt. Additionally with cases like in Ferguson and what happened in Lousivelle when four innocent teens were accused of robbing a woman with a weapon where they were later found not guilty of the

George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader, was driving to Target to run a errand on the night of February 26, 2012 when he observed a suspicious person, leisurely walking in the rain, looking at all the houses, wearing a grey hoodie as he would tell dispatch in his 911 call made at 7:09 p.m. Moments later an altercation occurred between Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, which left Trayvon dead from a single gunshot wound to his chest and Zimmerman with a bloody nose and a cut to the back of his head. Zimmerman asserted that the shooting was done in self-defense because he thought Trayvon was reaching for his ( Zimmerman’s ) concealed gun and he feared for his life. Eye witness accounts of the event backed his claim that Trayvon was hitting him, but Rachel Jeantel, who had been on the phone with Trayvon,

I and a community of others are outraged that Zimmernan was initially interviewed and let go with no charges filed more than six weeks after the shooting, Zimmerman still had not been charged with a crime, igniting a national outcry over what many considered to be state-sanctioned vigilantism. For many African-Americans the case had even deeper implications: Trayvon Martin, who had no criminal record, had been doing nothing more suspicious than walking. Many saw his death as another tragic example of racial profiling, the latest in a seemingly endless succession of unarmed Black men shot for appearing suspicious: Robbie Tolan, who survived being shot in his Bellaire, Texas, driveway in 2009 by a cop who thought he was trying to steal his own car; Amadou Diallo, shot and killed in 1999 in the Bronx when police mistook his wallet for a gun; Sean Bell, killed in 2008 on his wedding day in Queens, New York, by cops who thought he had a gun; Oscar Grant III, fatally shot by an Oakland transit cop on New Year's Day in 2009 while restrained and on the ground; and now Trayvon, with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea in his possession, shot dead on a Florida street.(Amber, 2012)

On February 26,2012, a 17 year old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. He was killed at 7:16 PM at the Twin Lakes, in Sanford Florida, while Trayvon Martin was returning from a local store, where he bought an Arizona ice tea, and skittles. A 28 year old hispanic man name George Zimmerman spotted Trayvon Martin, who he thought acted suspiciously. Moments later, there were an altercation between the two individuals, which resulted in Trayon being shot. The most important question is, why was Trayvon Martin killed? This is an unjustified murder. This murder is unjustified because, Trayvon Martin was ttrying to defend himself, Zimmerman was watching the neighbor hood and spotted Trayvon, who he thought arousing suspicion, and Zimmerman thought he had to shoot Trayvon. Zimmerman was false for shooting him.

On February 26, 2012 Trayvon Martin was a 17-year old African- American male walking home to his father’s

Zimmerman reported that he took action because when following protocol given by his prior call to 911, the suspect got a way. In contrast, Zimmerman disobeyed the directions given by the police on this night and pursued a teen, Trayvon Martin, that in his opinion looked suspicious but was only returning home from the store with skittles and tea. In his call to 911 he stated “We’ve had some break-ins in the neighborhood and there’s a real suspicious guy”. These break-ins began June 2011. Zimmerman took it upon himself to approach Martin in assumption that he had partaken in

According to the Miami Herald, George Zimmerman lived in a gated community that had been victim to over 200 thefts and break-ins in the 13 months leading up to Martin’s fatal shooting. The neighborhood watch consisted of only one volunteer: George Zimmerman himself. On the other hand, his position was an official one, set up by the Homeowners Association; Zimmerman was no lone vigilante.

On the night of the murder, Zimmerman, who was then part of the neighborhood watch committee, called the police at 7:09 pm to report a “suspicious teenager” walking through the neighborhood. When the police told him not to approach the teen and wait for them to get there, Zimmerman replied, “[t]hese assholes, these fucking punks, they always get away with it.” Not listening to the police, Zimmerman followed Martin and was once again told to stop his pursuit by the 911 operator. After arguing on the phone, Zimmerman said that he will stop following Martin. Martin, who was on the phone with his friend, Rachel Jeantel, was unarmed and was carrying a bag of skittles and an Arizona tea. Zimmerman said that he confronted Martin and then Martin tackled him to the ground and repeatedly punched him and smashed his head into the concrete. Through all the chaos, Zimmerman somehow was able to reach for his gun and shot Martin in the chest. A few minuted later, neighbors called the police and Martin was pronounced dead. Zimmerman was not arrested at the scene and it was not until April 11, 2012, after many protests that Zimmerman was arrested. He was charged with second degree murder and pleaded not guilty due to the “Stand Your Ground” law. Zimmerman’s jury was made up of five white women and one mixed woman who identified as Hispanic. Rachel Jeantel was the star witness of the case

He was also licensed a to carry a firearm. Zimmerman had called police several times to state he had seen individuals whom he had deemed as suspicious. All of the reported figures were black males. Zimmerman had made nearly 50 calls to police between 2004 and 2012 to report various local disturbances, such as loud parties, open garage doors, potholes, and children playing in the street. This sent out a red flag to many.