Archive for the ‘George Zimmerman’ Category

Trayvon Martin’s parents honor son’s ‘Enduring Life’ – USA TODAY

Jaleesa M. Jones , USA TODAY 12:58 p.m. EST January 30, 2017

by Sybrina Fulton

(Spiegel & Grau)

in Memoir

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' - USA TODAY

‘Rest in Power’: Trayvon Martin’s parents talk new book, heartache on Radio Times – Newsworks.org

Five years after their son was killed in a shooting that sparked controversy around the country, the parents of Trayvon Martin have written a book in memory of their son and his life.

The book, titled "Rest in Power," was released Tuesday and chronicles the lives of Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton before and after the death of their son, and the eventual impact of his passing.

At the time, Trayvon's death and the acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman sparked protests and debate across the country about racial profiling and justice. The case would help to fuel the beginnings of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton joined Radio Times host Marty Moss-Coane to talk about their experiences.

We really dont know what happened those 71 seconds, Martin said of the time before Trayvon was shot. Preceding the shooting, the sequence of events between him and Zimmerman left room for interpretation, as there is still time unaccounted for. Martin said Zimmerman was unafraid and looking for trouble.

Click through to listen to their whole conversation.

Fulton and Martin will be at the Free Library of Philadelphia Thurs. February 2, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. for a conversation with Associated Press reporter Errin Haines Whack.

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'Rest in Power': Trayvon Martin's parents talk new book, heartache on Radio Times - Newsworks.org

Black Lives Matter founders urge unity during Trump era – LA Daily News

The founders of Black Lives Matter urged UC Riverside students and community organizers to rely on one another at a time when they say President Donald Trumps administration is targeting women, immigrants and people of color.

Its going to take all of us to stop what 45 is doing right now, said Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, referring to Trump, the 45th U.S. president.

Cullors and Alicia Garza, who together founded Black Lives Matter, an international organizing network, talked to a packed crowd at UC Riverside on Wednesday. The room at the Highlander Union Building appeared to be filled to capacity. Some students stood against the wall. A number of security guards were present.

The duo talked about the origins of Black Lives Matter, which started as a hashtag reacting to the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer, in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager.

A large part of the UCR discussion dealt with how people from different backgrounds can work together to organize against the number of executive actions Trump recently has signed.

Trump has moved to temporarily ban refugees and immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. He also has moved to deport immigrants convicted or charged with committing a crime.

Earlier this year, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Republicans would move to defund Planned Parenthood as part of a push to repeal Obamacare.

Theyre coming after all of us, and we dont have the luxury of abstaining, Garza said.

This is an opportunity for us to build a different movement, she added. Thats not to say that this is the time to stop holding people accountable for the ways that we get erased or moved out of the way.

Whats the work that we need to do together, she asked, so that we can actually fight together?

The event was co-sponsored by UC Riversides Center for Ideas and Society and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which had given UCR over $450,000 in grants over three years to conduct seminars on campus diversity and marginalized groups.

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Black Lives Matter founders urge unity during Trump era - LA Daily News

Trayvon Martin’s parents release book on son’s life, impact of death – ABC15 Arizona

Five years after their son was killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, the parents of Trayvon Martin have released a book.

Fulton and Martin appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" to discuss the book surrounding their 17-year-old sons death, which sparked nationwide protests and conversations about race relations.

Zimmerman was subsequently acquitted of second-degree murder, and the Justice Department decided not to prosecute him on civil rights charges.

The book reportedly alternates between the parents lives before their son was killed and the impact of the teens death.

When Fulton and Martin sat down with Noah, the interview took an especially emotional turn when Martin shared a story: Years earlier, Trayvon had apparently saved his life by pulling him from a house fire.

"It hurt knowing that he saved my life for me not to be able to be there February 26 to save his life," Martin said. "Hes my hero and hes everything to me.

See the full interview below.

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Trayvon Martin's parents release book on son's life, impact of death - ABC15 Arizona

The Morning Brief: Donald Trump, Sally Yates and Boy Scouts of America – TIME

Sally Yates speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice on June 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Pete Marovich2016 Getty Images

Good morning. These are todays top stories:

President Donald Trump last night fired Sally Yates, the acting attorney general of the United States, saying she " betrayed " the Justice Department by refusing to enforce his temporary immigration ban. Yates had publicly opposed the order and had told Justice Department lawyers not to defend it. Trump appointed Dana Boente, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to temporarily replace her. In a statement, Boente said he would defend and enforce the laws of our country.

This evening, Trump will reveal his nomination to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant last year when Justice Antonin Scalia died. Trump said his announcement would come at 8 p.m. Those in the running for the position likely include Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman and William Pryor.

Former President Barack Obama applauded the thousands of Americans who protested against Trump's controversial travel ban in his first public statement since leaving the White House. "Citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by the elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake," Obama said, adding that he "fundamentally disagrees" with Trump's directive.

The Boy Scouts of America announced it will now begin allowing transgender children who identify as boys to participate in its programs. The organization said it will defer to the gender identity indicated on applications instead of birth certificates for enrollment.

Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin, chronicle the life of their slain 17-year-old son in a newly published book, Rest in Power . Trayvon Martin was shot dead by George Zimmerman nearly five years ago. The authors told TIME they hope their story will lift somebody else, including others who lost a child.

Also:

The Quebec City mosque shooting suspect had frequently expressed his support for Trump online.

Masaya Nakamura , the man who founded the video game company behind Pac-Man , has died at 91.

Former President George H. W. Bush has been discharged from a Houston hospital after being treated for pneumonia.

Ben Affleck said he cannot direct a standalone Batman movie for Warner Bros. anymore.

Tomorrow kicks off Black History Month.

A bobcat is still on the loose in Washington, D.C. after escaping from the Smithsonians National Zoo.

The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com .

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The Morning Brief: Donald Trump, Sally Yates and Boy Scouts of America - TIME