Hoodies UP! A Day of Outrage and Remembrance of Trayvon Martin

February 26, 2014 - 2 years since Trayvon Martin was murdered by vigilante, wanna be cop George Zimmerman; 2 years since this 17-year-old African- American walking home at 7:15 PM with skittles and iced tea and wearing a hoodie was murdered because he looked “suspicious” and “up to no good” to Zimmerman.
Zimmerman didn’t know Trayvon – had never met him or spoke to him. But America had taught Zimmerman that Black youth are guilty until proven innocent. And he learned this lesson well. Zimmerman called Trayvon “a punk,” “a fucking asshole,” and said “they always get away....” He stalked Trayvon, confronted him and shot him dead.
This was a modern day lynching. It sent a message that Black youth have a bulls-eye on their backs that cops and any ordinary racist can use as target practice. The recent murders of Renisha McBride in Detroit, Jordan Davis in Jacksonville, Florida, Jonathan Smith in North Carolina and Andy Lopez in Santa Rosa, California underscore this message.
In response we must deliver our own message: we will not stand by in silence as our youth are brutalized, locked up, murdered and more. On Feb 26th, we must say NO MORE! to the criminalization of whole generations of Black and Latino youth.
Look at what this case revealed. When the police arrived on the scene finding Zimmerman standing over Trayvon’s dead body, they drug tested Trayvon – the victim – and let Zimmerman – the killer – walk free. It took weeks of nationwide mobilization to force the authorities to put Zimmerman on trial.
Then Trayvon was put on trial. Stories of marijuana being found in his backpack and a school suspension filled the media. As Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon’s mother, put it: “They’ve killed my son, and now they are trying to kill his reputation.”
In the trial, the judge ruled the prosecution could talk about profiling, but not RACIAL profiling. The prosecutors forgot how to prosecute, putting on Zimmerman’s case so well he didn’t have to testify. The defense assassinated the character of Trayvon and then
unleashed crude insults and Racist attacks on Rachel Jeantel, who spoke the truth about what happened the night of Trayvon’s murder. The question is what will we do now in the face of this outrage? Will we stand by in silence as youth like Trayvon die or face lives of brutality, misery and incarceration?
Or will we stand up and say NO MORE! - on February 26, 2014, and from here on out? Now is NOT the time to “move on.” Now IS the time for basic people and youth, professors and students, artists and writers, athletes, musicians and prominent voices of conscience to rise up in spirited resistance with the clear objective of STOPPING mass incarceration, criminalization and the murder of our youth.
On February 26, step off in determined street protests; hold campus teach-ins and cultural events; speak out in the media; spread the image and national sticker “We Are All Trayvon, The Whole Damn System is Guilty” and say NO MORE! to the green light this system has given to police and vigilantes to gun down and murder any youth they deem “suspect” because of the color of their skin or the clothes they wear. Spread the “We Say No More” statement, which condemns the murder of Trayvon.
The murder of Trayvon was and is a towering outrage. Remember: when the verdict came down many thousands rejected the call for “calm reflection” from Obama and others and took to the streets in outrage. Many more asked: Why does this happen? And, what can we do about it? There is a challenge before us: What kind of world are we going to live in? On February 26, 2014 we must answer that challenge with a day of outrage and remembrance for Trayvon Martin and all the others like Trayvon.
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Hoodies Up! We Are All Trayvon * The Whole Damn System is Guilty!
The Youth Are Not Suspects, They Are Human Beings!