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'Rest in Power' by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin(Photo: Spiegel & Grau)

The world will never know who Trayvon Martin the unarmed 17-year-old fatally shot in Florida by neighborhood watch coordinatorGeorge Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012 could have grown up to be.

In a way, wenever knew who he was. His humanity was lost, broken down intoschool records,headlinesand 140 charactersin the ensuing media scrutiny and trial of Zimmerman for his role in the altercation that ended in Trayvon's death.

In Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin (Spiegel & Grau, 331 pp., ***out of four stars), Trayvons parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, gather the pieces and attempt to present the whole of who their sonwas when he was just a boy before he became a martyr and before his death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

USA TODAY

Trayvon Martin's parents, five years after his shooting, weigh political bids

He was aboy whofell in love with aviation and dreamed of flying beyond the world he knew. A boy trying to find his place in a society that already viewed him as a man.

But as much as the book is about Trayvon's life, it's also a meditation on the criminal justice system that his parents believe did not do himjustice.

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have written 'Rest in Power.'(Photo: Adrian Freeman)

In Fulton and Martins words, it was Trayvon their "Tray," who called his mom "Cupcake" and counted everyone he met as a friend who was put on trial. In alternating chapters, the parents detail how their son's nonviolentinfractions were examined under a microscope while Zimmerman's previous run-ins with the law were, in their view, glossed over. (Zimmerman was arrested in April 2012 after nationwide protestsand charged with second-degree murder. At his trial, Zimmermansaid he felt threatened by the teen, whom he had followed in his car and then on foot. He was later acquitted.)

The divorced couple tunnel into how the prosecution was barred from using the phrase "racial profiling" and how cultural differences and linguistic racismhurt the credibility of the prosecution's key witness, Trayvon's friend Rachel Jeantel.

Later, Fulton and Martin write that prosecutors neglected to ask the right questions and present more character witnessesto humanize Trayvon in the eyes of the jury.

Trayvon Martin, left, and George Zimmerman. right.(Photo: AP)

But while Rest in Powerlaments the pitfalls of the case and the state of racial justice, Fulton and Martin also offer a glint of hope in the rallies for justice, the support which extended from Hollywood to the White House, and the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, which brought together people who understood that, no,Trayvon wasn't an angel because he was a human being.

Rest in Powerstands as a reminder not only of Trayvon's life and deathbut of the vulnerability of black livesin a country that still needs to be reminded they matter. It also offers a prayer that someday, as Fulton writes, "the killing will stop" and "the healing will begin."

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Trayvon Martin's parents honor son's 'Enduring Life' - Courier-Journal - The Courier-Journal

Compiled by Jocelyn McClurg, USA TODAY 6:06 a.m. ET Feb. 4, 2017

'Rest in Power' by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin(Photo: Spiegel & Grau)

What should you read this weekend? USA TODAYs picks for book lovers include two titles forBlack HIstory Month, one a memoir ofTrayvon Martin, the other a history of theEmmett Till case.

Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin; Spiegel & Grau, 331 pp.; non-fiction

The world will never know who Trayvon Martin the unarmed 17-year-old fatally shot in Florida by neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012 could have grown up to be.

In a way, we never knew who he was. His humanity was lost, broken down into school records, headlines and 140 characters in the ensuing media scrutiny and trial of Zimmerman for his role in the altercation that ended in Trayvons death.

In Rest in Power, Trayvons parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, gather the pieces and attempt to present the whole of who their son was when he was just a boy before he became a martyr and before his death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

But as much as the book is about Trayvons life, its also a meditation on the criminal justice system that his parents believe did not do him justice.

USA TODAY says ***out of four stars. Offers a prayer that someday, as Fulton writes, the killing will stop and the healing will begin.

USA TODAY

Trayvon Martin's parents honor son's 'Enduring Life'

4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster; Henry Holt, 866 pp.; fiction

This novel takes the life of one man, Archie Ferguson, born in 1947, and offers four alternative versions.

USA TODAY says *** stars. Give Auster full points for literary moxie4 3 2 1 must be applauded for its ambition.

USA TODAY

One man, four lives, in Auster's '4 3 2 1'

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson; Simon & Schuster, 304 pp.; non-fiction

Re-examines the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy who was visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955 when he was kidnapped and brutally murdered by two white men.

USA TODAY says ***stars. Tyson (applies) diligent research, scrupulous perspective and a vigorous aptitude for weaving public and intimate details.

USA TODAY

'The Blood of Emmett Till' remembers a horrific crime

Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran; Putnam, 469 pp.; fiction

Who will get custody of little Ignacio El Viento Castro Valdez his young, undocumented Mexican mother, or the Indian-American couple in California who foster him?

USA TODAY says ***stars. Pulses with vitality.

USA TODAY

Two warring countries and one 'Lucky' little boy

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney; Ballantine, 336 pp.; fiction

The current renter of a gorgeous minimalist house in London tries to determine what happened to the girl who rented the house before she did.

USA TODAY says *** stars. Worth a few hours of idle pleasure.

Contributing reviewers: Jaleesa Jones, Eliot Schrefer, Gene Seymour, Steph Cha, Charles Finch

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Weekend picks for book lovers - USA Today - USA TODAY

Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images

The parents of Trayvon Martin have been fighting for their sons legacy and for racial justice for all since their son was gunned down five years ago by then-neighborhood shithead watchman George Zimmerman in a controversial shooting that fueled the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, now, with a Trump presidency appearing to threaten whatever accomplishments have been made, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin are reportedly considering running for public office to be part of the change they think the nation needs.

According to USA Today, both parents fear that Donald Trump will reverse the progress that has been made, and they are now looking to change things from the inside out.

Since Trayvons death, we saw how divided the country is on these issues, and we saw how the country can come together, Martin told Capital Download. You have those that are for uniting the country, and you have those that want to be apart. And what this new presidency does, it takes those that want to be apart and it puts them right in the position where they can say, Well change the laws, and well make it tougher.

This position is a far cry from where they saw themselves five years ago before our life got interrupted, as Fulton puts it.

Before, I was just comfortable with my average life, but now I feel like Im just obligated to be part of the change, Fulton said. The only way we can be part of the change is if we start with local government and we work our way up.

Both parents laughed heartily when asked if they had ever considered a run for office before now. But things being as they are currently, the sky is the limit, apparently.

It could go all the way up to the White House, Fulton said of their possible upcoming bids, but she said they would begin with a city or county commissioner position.

Theres no limitations, Martin echoed. I think once you embark on a journey, you dont minimize your goal; you want to maximize your goals. So you start on the local level and then you work your way up, and hopefully it will take us to a place where we can help more than just local, more than just state. National. That would be the focus.

The duo have a new book, Rest in Power, that is scheduled to be published Tuesday by Siegel and Grau in memory of their son.

Fulton is a widely recognized figure, and even campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton last year, standing against Trumps anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, which she said fed into that division; they fed into that hatred.

Now faced instead with the reality of a Trump presidency, Fulton says that she talks to many black parents who are increasingly worried about the safety of their children.

Average citizens feel like their kids are not going to make it home safely, because weve had so many incidents where somebody is shot and killed and nobody is being held accountable, she said. You have to bury a loved one, and on top of you burying a loved one, nobody is going to trial. Nobody is being arrested. Nobody is going to jail. And so it like adds insult to injury.

Where is the justice system for some of these families? Where was the justice system for us? she added.

Read more at USA Today.

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Trayvon Martin's Parents Consider Running for Political Office - The Root

Teenager's death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement amid public outcry

THE parents of killed teenager Trayvon Martin have released a book sharing the colossal impact his death has had on their lives.

The shooting of Martin by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman sparked the Black Lives Matter movement amid a public outcry over the gunmans controversial acquittal.

Martin Family

Parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martinhave written Rest in Power which pays tribute to their tragic son.

We take a look at the lives of Martin and Zimmerman, the night of the killing in February 2012, and the ongoing aftermath.

Trayvon Martin was just 17-years-old when he was shot dead by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.

Martin, who was was born in Miami, was a junior at Dr Michael M. Krop High School in Miami-Dade.

Before his death he had brushed aside his dream of becoming an American football player and had chosen to pursue a carer working with aeroplanes.

The Black Lives Matter movement, which aims to protect black people against civil and human rights abuses, is rooted in the injustices around Martins death.

Orlando Sentinel

George Zimmerman, who was born in Manassas, Virginia, was acquitted of second-degree murder after he shot dead Martin.

He has remained the subject of media attention ever since amid the ongoing controversy around the killing.

He had moved to Florida after graduating and worked for an insurance agency.

Zimmerman was volunteering as a neighbourhood watch volunteer when he killed Martin.

On May 11, 2015, Zimmerman tried to auction off the gun he had used in the shooting.

He called the the weapon an American firearm icon and said the money from the sale would got to combating violence against police by the Black Lives Matter movement.

The gun was removed from the auction site gunbroker.com the next day.

Martin, who was African American, was in a convenience store buying sweets and a canned drink on February 26, 2012.

After he had left the store he walked through a neighbourhood in Florida that was notorious for robberies.

Zimmerman spotted him and called the police to report him for suspicious behaviour.

Moments later the pairhad a physical altercation and Martin was shot in the chest.

Zimmerman, who was injured in the scrap, was not charged at the time of the shooting by Sanford Police.

They said there was no evidence to refute his claim of self-defence.

National media then covered the killing and Zimmerman was subsequently charged and tried over Martin's death.

Zimmerman went on trial charged with second-degree murder over the shooting of 17-year-old Martin.

The State claimed Zimmerman profiled Martin before confronting him and shooting him in the chest.

The State's case was that Martin was not committing a crime at the time.

Zimmerman claimed in his trial that he shot Martin in self defence.

After sixteen hours of deliberation over the course of two days, Zimmerman was found not guilty on all counts by a six-person jury.

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Original post:
Why did George Zimmerman shoot Trayvon Martin and what happened afterwards? - The Sun

Get ready to raise a Black fist clenching a bookmark. These four releases explore popular Black philosophy in all its complexity. From feminism to Black nationalism and beyond, the authors on this list are committed to telling thought-provoking stories that empower our people and challenge ideologies that are often silenced in popular media.

Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin($26; Spiegel & Grau) We will never forget Feb. 26, 2012. On that day, 17-year-old Trayvon Martins life was stolen from him by the actions of George Zimmerman. Rest in Power is a three-dimensional look at the teen through the eyes of his parents.

Muslim Cool by Suad Abdul Khabeer ($30; NYU Press) Khabeer, a scholar, activist and artist, has spent much of her career writing about African-American Muslim identities; her latest book continues the conversation by focusing solely on youth. A skilled ethnographer, the author combines her poets ear and thorough research in prose that flips the script on anti-Black, anti-Muslim sentiment.

Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks edited by Quraysh Ali Lansana and Sandra Jackson-Opoku ($24.95; Curbside Splendor Publishing) Gwendolyn Brooks was a champion of Black expression. The first Black Pulitzer Prize winners poetic verses offered insight into the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, and they continue to bring further context to current racial inequities. This collection of art inspired by the cultural icon is a worthy celebration of her life, writing and activism. The Crunk Feminist Collection edited by Robin M. Boylorn, Brittney C. Cooper and Susana M. Morris ($18.95; Feminist Press at CUNY) The Crunk Feminist Collective has been unapologetically adamant about calling out misogyny in popular culture with a decidedly hip-hop feminist aesthetic since its founding in 2010. Now boasting an annual readership of 1 million, the scho lars are releasing some of their most popular blog posts. In the spirit of Home Girls Make Some Noise!, The Crunk Feminist Collection tackles the intersection of race, gender, politics and personal struggles of loving hip-hop but hating the sexism etched into the genre.

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Write the Power: Four Powerful Must-Reads - EBONY.com