The senseless death of Trayvon Martin is the subject of a new Paramount Network (formerly Spike) docuseries, Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin.
The docuseries is produced by Jay-Z, who took this on after also exec producing Time: The Kalief Browder Story.
The six-part, non-scripted documentary series will be the definitive look at one of the most talked-about and controversial events in the last decade that spurred the impactful worldwide Black Lives Matter movement.
On Ebro in the Morning, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin talked about the docuseries and the decision to have Jay-Z executive produce.
“One of the things I always say is that Jay-Z was the person that came to the table, but who we met with was Shawn Carter. It was a different person—he’s more business. He talks as a father, a husband, a son-in-law. It’s a different type of person that comes to the table when you’re doing business. It’s not the Jay-Z that I go to the concert, Hov, that I see at his concerts and TV and stuff like that. It’s not the same person, and a lot of people don’t understand that until they do business with him. But the business, Shawn Carter, came to our meeting and he expressed to us that this was something that he really wanted to do,” said Sybrina.
The docuseries has received poignant reactions on social media:
Watching #TrayvonMartinStory tonight on @BET. Hear it picks up where 13TH left off about Florida’s disastrous “Stand Your Ground” scheme. And promises to explore the life and loss of a young man much loved and much missed. Props to @S_C_ and team. ✊???? https://t.co/X1NMelhYyi
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 31, 2018
Trayvon was just four years older than my son. It hit home as the first killing of a young Black boy by police that I can remember as a parent. It changed everything. #TrayvonMartinStory https://t.co/oPhgdAh673
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 31, 2018
What we saw on 2/26/12 was very similar to what we see in the 911 calls on Black people living #WhileBlack today. We are treated as threats first, leading to an over-policing of our communities. In this instance, it took Trayvon’s life. #TrayvonMartinStory https://t.co/ZUxOAI7jRs
— Rashad Robinson (@rashadrobinson) July 31, 2018
THIS IS WHY COLIN KAEPERNICK KNEELED. #TrayvonMartinStory
— Myleeza (@MyleezaKardash) July 31, 2018
Watch the full interview below: