trayvon-martin

A North Carolina homeowner was recently found guilty of first-degree murder for shooting an unarmed black man in August 2016, the NY Daily News reports. Chad Copley was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.Back in August, Copley reported "hoodlums" in his neighborhood, according to released 911 tapes. "I am locked and loaded. I'm going outside to secure my neighborhood," Copley could be heard saying on the call.Before talking with the dispatcher, Copley was also heard saying "I’m going to kill 'em," according to News & Observer.Copley fatally shot 24-year-old Kouren-Rodney Thomas from inside of his garage. Thomas was on his way home from a party and did not have a gun on his person, according to his friends' testimonies. Copley reported to the 911 dispatcher that he was on the "neighborhood watch," of which his fellow neighborhood residents denied. A lawyer from Thomas' attorney team described Copley as "George Zimmerman 2.0" in reference to Zimmerman's similar vigilante actions that resulted in the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin back in 2012. Defense lawyer Raymond Tarlton claimed police "vaulted over the investigation and the search for the truth" thanks to the heightened attention after the 911 call was released. However, prosecutors discredited Copley's self-defense claims during a cross-examination, where Copley admitted to lying about firing a warning shot. "[Thomas] wasn't a hoodlum, he wasn't a bad kid, he was a good kid," said the late 24-year-old's mother, Helen Simone Butler-Thomas, following the announced verdict. "This is all we have of him left. Maybe he can rest now, knowing his name was cleared and he didn't deserve to die on a...

Iconic rapper Jay-Z and the parents of Trayvon Martin celebrated the late teen's life on Saturday at the sixth annual Peace Walk & Peace Talk in Miami.Hov has played an active role in telling Trayvon's story and seeking change after George Zimmerman's acquittal. Jay-Z and Beyoncé demanded justice for Trayvon in 2013 when they attended a New York rally following his death. Last year, the rap mogul announced plans to produce a docu-series and a film, Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, that details Trayvon's life.No Justice! No Peace! In honor of #TrayvonMartin and all those fallen from police brutality. It’s now time to talk. Come join us at the Betty T. Ferguson Rec. Center, 3000 NW 199th Street. #EricGarner #MichaelBrown #PhilandoCastile #LaquanMcdonald #TamirRice #FreddieGray #SandraBland #AltonSterling #WalterScott #99JAMZ #WEDRA post shared by 99JAMZ (@99jamzmiami) on Feb 10, 2018 at 7:04am PSTTrayvon's mother Sybrina Fulton and father Tracy Martin led the march to honor his life and celebrate what would have been their son's 23rd birthday on February 5. "We want to make sure that we stand and support and never forget that Trayvon serves as a beacon of light to the people out here. So you guys will never have to go through the pain and hurt that these guys went through," he told the crowd packed into Betty T. Ferguson Amphitheater."And his name will sit alongside the greats whom lost their lives to push our culture forward — the Martin Luther Kings, the Gandhis. That’s the intention that we set, that his name serves as a beacon of light and hope to push us in a better direction, so thank you guys for your support. Thank you for being here." Watch Jay's rousing speech...

The Humanize My Hoodie Project is designed to foster critical conversations about threat perception. With the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin, many conversations spurred about people of color, black people in particular, and their use of hoodies. We seek to further the discussion with hoodies that seek to dismantle the stigma associated with clothing items. The Humanize My Hoodie Project is an opportunity for people to discuss the ways in which we view threat. This is a nationwide movement started by Jason Sole and Andre' Wright created to show solidarity....

It’s crazy to think that it’s 2017, and even with all the protests physically and digitally, people being killed by cops is still happening consistently. And guess what else? Apparently, the numbers of those killings aren’t even being recorded accurately.U.K.-based newspaper and media company, Guardian, created a project called “The Counted” to “count the number of people killed by police and other law enforcement agencies in the United States throughout 2015 and 2016.” The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also does the same thing in America, but not very well though. “The Guardian counted 93 percent of the U.S. police-related deaths, while the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics counted only 45 percent,” according to the Huff Post.Interestingly, the Guardian relied on news stories and crowd-source information for their count, while the CDC’s source was official records, which seem to often omit police killings. Before you get alarmed, the killings appear to be omitted mostly by mistake. A medical examiner or coroner often failed to mention law-enforcement involvement on the death certificate, and police killings by weapons other than guns (for example, Taser shocks) were also missed.In 2015, there were an estimated 1,166 deaths. The America’s CDC missed 643, while the United Kingdom’s publication, Guardian, only missed 80.Accuracy of police-related killings are, obviously, important, something “The Counted” senior author Nancy Krieger, also a professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, made very clear. “As with any public health outcome or exposure, the only way to understand the magnitude of the problem, and whether it is getting better or worse, requires that data be uniformly, validly and reliably obtained throughout the U.S.,” the professor stated.Hopefully this will motivate U.S. data organizations to pay more attention and carefully gather data in the near future. How will the immensity of killings by the hands of police ever stop if the precise number of deaths continue to be...

Five years after the Trayvon Martin case,  a Miami judge has finally ruled that the new "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law is unconstitutional.The Miami Herald reports that Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch ruled that lawmakers overstepped their authority in modifying the law this year to force prosecutors to disprove a defendant's self-defense claim at the pre-trial hearing.This ruling is a victory for prosecutors who firmly oppose the law under the belief that it gives defendants a leg up in getting away with murder and other violent crimes.The Florida "Stand Your Ground Law" has easily been one of the most controversial laws in recent decades. The law, states that:"a person is justified in the use of deadly force and has no duty to retreat if the person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself, or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony"One of the biggest issues that come into play with the law is the statement of "duty to retreat," which is where standing your ground comes in. In most states, self-defense follows after you have at least made an attempt to "retreat", if you can, and are still being threatened.Of course, the update in the law, passed in May, was backed by the National Rifle Association.The controversy surrounding the law in recent years has contributed to its media spotlight due to its involvement in the trials of George Zimmerman, Michael Dunn and Marissa Alexander. The first two are white men who killed black teenage boys, and the later is a black woman who defended herself against an on-record, violent husband. Dunn was convicted on five charges including first-degree murder, in which he fired 10 times at an SUV after an argument with the teens inside about how loud their music was. However, we all watched the 2012 Trayvon Martin trial in which George Zimmerman was acquitted. The same year, Marissa Alexander faced up to 60 years behind bars, of which she only served three, for firing a single shot near her abusive husband, unable to convince a jury she had feared for her life. These verdicts caused people to call foul on the play. The question was then posed does stand your ground only apply to white people?And while it is reported that Hirsch’s ruling isn’t binding because other trial courts across Florida can follow the law if they choose, it will “get the appeals ball rolling,” and possibly go to the Florida Supreme Court for review.If this could possibly go to the Florida Supreme Court, now more than ever is the time to reach out to political leaders and let them know what we want. This law has truly been sickening and it's time to abolish it all together. We're thankful for this glimpse of hope in Trump's America, but it's got to go once and for...

The NBA Draft will soon take place on Thursday, June 22nd, which means that in a few days a select group of young men will see their lives transformed. Given the demographics of the NBA, a high percentage of these draftees will be young black men. In particular, the University of Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball could be selected early by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, and add to the rich history of the NBA. Year-after-year, I have always enjoyed watching young, black soon-to-be-millionaires claim their new jerseys, fortune, and fame. However, since there seem to be more and more black boys who have become household names for all the wrong reasons, it will be disorienting watching this year’s NBA Draft as I think about the players' contemporaries who were not even allowed to try on their young adulthood.Michael Brown could not run faster than a speeding bullet. Trayvon Martin could not shoot. And Tamir Rice did not have a killer crossover. These boys were thus dispensable in the eyes of many.They were not the type of black boys whose bodies made them prized, potential superstars by the time they entered high school. They were not the type of boys that businesses salivated at the chance to employ. They were not the type of boys whom cities excitedly threw out a red carpet for and hoped to integrate into their communities. Rich kids in the suburbs did not want to walk in their shoes.Whereas many basketball fans will pay attention to even the slightest injury that an NBA player suffers, whether it is his toe, ankle, elbow, or finger, many of these observers will not lose a second of sleep if they hear that an unathletic black human being was brutalized by racism. These same fans may obsess over their favorite players’ statistics like points, rebounds, and assists, but they could not care less if a black child with poor hand-eye coordination is racially insulted three times a month, stopped and frisked twice per year, or fatally abused once a lifetime.Of course, even though NBA players may generate more societal concern than most of their peers, they will still never be completely free from the racism that can eviscerate financial force fields at a moment’s notice. For example, although a superstar like LeBron James has his pick of homes as an adult, his property was recently vandalized with the N-word.  Furthermore, even though a player like Draymond Green has his dream job, he has still been racially harassed at work by customers.  And NBA players like Thabo Sefolosha have also directly suffered from police brutality themselves.Maybe it would actually be helpful for race relations overall if diehard NBA fans felt that the more progressive the country was, the better their new stars would perform once they entered the league. If NBA fans felt that young black men would shoot better, jump higher, or run faster if they did not have to worry about being racially profiled themselves, hearing about a family friend who was victimized by a racist stranger, or reading about a young woman who died under mysterious circumstances in police custody, then who knows how different the nation would be. After all, even the casual fans of black life would finally have a reason to ensure that real equality plays a role in their...

Lately, my best friend and I have been watching Family Guy and noticing some pretty satirical things. In very subtle ways, that appear maybe once or twice throughout the seasons, Family Guy comments on issues in the country such as abortion, women's rights and race. Mostly, it comes in small segments where it’s usually shrugged off by the characters, but the more I watched, the more I noticed it! The episodes that were subtly about race stood out to me because they felt weirdly familiar.Here are a few examples:Season 8, Episode 7This is the episode where Cleveland left, and now Peter and his friends have to find a new friend to complete their group. The guy ended up being Jerome, a black guy that used to date Peter’s wife, Lois. Peter was perfectly fine with Jerome until he found out that Jerome used to date Lois, and after that, he went on this rant about how Jerome was going to take his wife. Also in this episode, Jerome and Peter are in the car and, of course, they get pulled over. Jerome ended up getting questioned by the police and gets back in the car talking about how he’s used to always being questioned by the police. Hmmm... I wonder why...Season 12, Episode 18In this episode, Peter’s son, Chris, falls for Jerome’s daughter, Pam, who happens to be black. However, Jerome doesn’t want Pam to date Chris because he is white. This appears to be commenting on a stereotype that usually involves parents not wanting their children to date people of different races, which is something that still happens today. In addition to that, when Chris first brings her home, Lois says, “I voted for Obama once.” Don’t think that’s important? Remember in Get Out when Rose’s dad was talking about how he’d vote for Obama a third time, and you saw how he really felt...? Y’all, Family Guy is on to something.Season 14, Episode 9Y'ALL, LOOK!In this episode, Peter becomes the neighborhood watch, and as he is “patrolling,” he sees Cleveland Jr. “breaking into his house” and shoots him, as Cleveland Jr. is reaching into his pocket for his phone. All I’m saying is that the storyline to this particular episode was weirdly similar to the shootings that helped spur the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In addition to that, Peter attempted to do blackface, doesn’t initially get arrested, AND to stop all the madness, all Cleveland has to do is mention black on black crime and the media goes away. I’m not saying that Family Guy is trying to tell us something, but it’s getting a little too close for me. The creators of Family Guy are watching what's happening in the world, and they're putting it in their shows. They're trying to say something to their main audiences. Watch out for them. They are on to...

On May 13th, Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, will receive a Bachelor’s of Aeronautical Science in honor of their late son, The Washington Times reports.Inspired by Barrington Irving — who in 2007 became the first man to fly solo around the world —  Trayvon took summer aviation classes at Florida Memorial University, where he will be honored.According to his mother, he had hopes of one day becoming a pilot. "He loved flying and working with his hands,” Sybrina told The Tampa Bay Times in 2012. “He wanted to be a pilot or work as a mechanic in aviation. He was mechanically inclined and could fix just about anything.'' In a statement from Florida Memorial’s President Roslyn Clark-Artis, “It is of special significance is awarding posthumously the Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation to Trayvon Martin. Sybrina, our alum, epitomizes strength and dignity as she uplifts other victims of violence while effecting change for a more equal and just society.”After the ceremony, the school plans to host a fundraiser that will benefit both its aviation program, and The Trayvon Martin Foundation.The family will receive the honor on May 13th at the university’s commencement...

This prom season has really been one for the books. The class of 2017 has really been showing out and making statements with their fashion tastes. 17-year-old Milan Bolden-Morris decided that she, too, wanted to make a statement of her own: that black lives matter and justice should be mandatory.Photo: Terrence TorranceBolden-Morris made heads turn during her senior prom with a dress that featured fallen black Americans like Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown and Tamir Rice. The dress was designed by Bolden-Morris' friend, designer Terrence Torrance. It was made from scuba material and beaded lace to give a form-fitting look. The idea took over a year to finally come into fruition, but Torrance believes it was for the best. He estimates that the dress featured 15 lives; he had a longer list, but ultimately had to edited it. "If I could put everybody on there, I’d probably still be adding people on. It’s sad to say," he said in an interview with Buzzfeed.Meaningful 🗣 #prom2k17 pic.twitter.com/vxIWOXa7iO— Milan Bolden-Morris (@_milan23_) April 22, 2017The piece has been making its rounds on social media, garnering attention from users everywhere. Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, loved the creation. While responses have been varied, Bolden-Morris wants the overall message to hit harder than the dress. "It was not for me, not to show how good I look in the dress or get publicity for me," she told Buzzfeed. "It’s about how these lives were taken under unnecessary circumstances."Slay, sis.Photo:...

Trayvon Martin is alive, but maybe not well, in a new play from Artie Award winner Gary Earl Ross. We all know what happened that night in 2012 — hoodies, Skittles taking on new meaning. We witnessed our legal system grinding through two hundred years of conflict, saw the Second Amendment in a different light, and learned just how powerful stand your ground laws are.That law takes center stage in Ross’ play. Titled The Trial of Trayvon Martin, the work imagines what might have happened if, during the confrontation between George Zimmerman and Martin, Martin was able to get the upper hand, leaving Zimmerman dead and Trayvon alive.Alive and on trial for murder, standing before the court 17-years-old, with Florida’s stand your ground law as the centerpiece of his defense, Trayvon is forced to face a jury that is perhaps less inclined to forgive the act of taking a life now that a black man is in front of them rather than Zimmerman.The play is the most recent entry in The Subversive Theater Collective’s Black Power Play Series. Previous plays in the series include a performance of Othello with an all black cast and a white Othello, a tense look into Martin Luther King’s last hours and a courtroom drama about a black doctor doing his best to defend himself against the KKK in 1920s Detroit.The theater says their newest play is “fresh and unrelenting.” And excerpts from the play certain back this up, with Travyon at one point lamenting, “I wish I was the one who died. Then maybe I could have got some justice.”If you’ll be in Buffalo anytime between now and May 6, you can catch the play for yourself at the Manny Fried Playhouse — ticket info is available on The Subversive Theater’s...