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Led by Mrs. Sybrina Martin, Mayor Adams, Rev. Sharpton and others

by BenYakaswww.gothamist.comReverend Al Sharpton and Mayor Eric Adams were joined by Sybrina Fulton and her family to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the murder of Fultons son, Trayvon Martin, in Harlem on Saturday.

Of course today is a bittersweet day, said Fulton, who noted that she usually does not make plans or appearances on the anniversary of her sons death. A lot of people talk about Trayvon Martins story its not a story for me, its a tragedy. Because a story has a beginning and an ending. There is no ending for what I carry in my heart.

Fulton, who started the Trayvon Martin Foundation in the wake of her sons death to bring awareness to ending gun violence, said we have to continue to hold people accountable for killing our loved oneswe cant give up, weve come too far.

Adams credited Fulton with turning her pain into a purpose, transforming it from a burial into a planting, and today we see the fruits of her harvest in the foundation that she has established and continued to pursue.

Adams spoke of how Fulton has worked to redefine the term stand your ground, the Florida statute that neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman used as his defense after he fatally shot the unarmed 17-year-old Martin on February 26th, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.

Adams argued that Fulton had turned the phrase into a rallying cry to fight against discrimination and unfair laws. He said that continuing the fight for Martin now means fighting against bigotry of all kinds, and connected it to hate crimes happening throughout NYC recently.

Trayvon was shot and killed because of who he looked like, Adams said. That is what youre seeing if someone is Asian, theyre being murdered because of who they look like. Someone who is in the transgender community is being assaulted because of who they look like. Someone who is Jewishis being attacked because of who they look like. Someone who is wearing a hijab that is being spat on or assaulted because of who they look like. If we stand our ground for Trayvon, were standing our ground for every group in the city. You cannot be treated based on what you look like.Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of the charges of second degree murder and manslaughter, and, after a three-year inquiry, the Department Of Justice decided not to charge him with a hate crime either.

Sharpton, who introduced Adams and Fulton, said unequivocally that Martin was a victim of a hate crime: We wanted today, 10 years later, to say in his name [that] we stand against all hate crime whether its against Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Jews, gays, hate against anybody is wrong. You cant just fight for yours; you got to fight [for] everyone.

At Saturdays event, held at National Action Networks House of Justice at 145th Streetand Lenox Avenue, Sharpton criticized what he called microwave activists people who get heated up for one issue and then disappear and called Adams a long distance runner in comparison.Eric Adams is not here because hes mayor, hes mayor because hes been there all along, Sharpton said. Dont get it twisted. A lot of folks that will criticize him in the name of their [activism] were not active when Eric Adams was an activist out there, when there were just a few of us. Dont show up late to class and start taking attendance; get a seat in the back.

Read more:
10th Anniversary of Death of Trayvon Martin Observed at National Action Network - Our Time Press