Trayvon Martin Would Have Been 30 Years Old Today [Editorial]

Trayvon Martin would be 30 years old today if not for the meddling of volunteer night watchman George Zimmerman. While sobering thoughts hang over the heads of many regarding the loss of Trayvon Martin, many are choosing to use this time to hold up his lasting memory.

Instead of writing my usual report regarding Trayvon Martin, I’m electing to speak as myself and completely from the heart. Martin’s death hit me particularly hard because I, like many Black men who grew up in the inner city, know full well what being Black in America means and how potentially dangerous it has largely always been.

When I was writing for NewsOne, I traveled to Sanford, the Florida town where young Trayvon was gunned down by Zimmerman. I spoke with town leaders and with Martin’s parents, trying to make sense of the pain while also doing my duty as a reporter. I can say with measurable confidence that it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. And yet, I was struck by the resilience of Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, no longer romantically involved but unified in honor of their son.

Martin’s death was one of the many catalysts for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which launched in earnest a year after Martin’s 2012 passing. Of course, several observers have their thoughts about BLM, some favorable and others unsavory, but the significance of that period will never be forgotten.

I’m just a writer. I’m not an activist nor do I know what to do in times like this beyond sharing my undying devotion to the elevation of my people and that those who have been killed unjustly are never a footnote but instead an inspiration.

If we can honor Trayvon Martin in one unifying way, it would be to keep his name alive and never let those in power forget that Black bodies are not targets. Black people are not automatic threats. Black people deserve to live on the same terms and with the same grace as all people should.

And with that, I pledge to live out loud for Trayon. May he rest powerfully in peace.

Keep scrolling to see thoughts from X, formerly Twitter.

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Photo: Getty