Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, is running for office.
Fulton is running for a position on the Miami-Dade County Commission, reports The Miami Herald. She is hoping to represent District 1 after current Commissioner Barbara Jordan steps down. Jordan is unable to run again due to term limits.
“My time as a public servant began 30 years ago at Miami-Dade County. Since 2012, I have advocated tirelessly to empower our communities and make them safer,” Fulton said on Instagram. “But the work is not done. I am proud to announce that I will run to represent District 1 on the county commission.”
Willis Howard, Fulton’s campaign manager, said combating gun violence and helping families heal are priorities.
“Mental health is not looked at the same way especially in communities of color,” Howard told The Washington Post. “We want to make sure we put that in the forefront. If you’re a victim of violent crime, there are some issues we need to deal with for the family who survived. We need to deal with those moms and brothers and sisters who are facing these new realities. We want to make sure they have access to the support they need.”
Fulton, a former county employee who served low-income residents, wants to eliminate the barriers which have created “created a haves and have-nots atmosphere in Miami-Dade.”
Howard sees her work history and role as a “mother of the movement” as an asset.
“You can’t help but bring her experiences to the forefront,” he said. “As she has said, if not now, then when? If it’s not her, then who? She is the leadership that she’s been asking for.”
Howard confirmed Fulton was inspired to run after she saw other mothers who lost their children to gun violence enter politics.
Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, ran for a position on Ferguson’s City Council but lost. Lucy McBath, whose son Jordan Davis was killed in 2014, was elected to Congress during the 2018 midterms.
Howard said their examples were “definitely encouraging” to Fulton.
