It has been just under 12 years since Trayvon Martin was shot and killed after being stalked by George Zimmerman, and his mother and demonstrators are keeping his memory alive.
Source: Jason Armond / Getty
On Saturday, crowds gathered in Miami Gardens, Florida, for the 12th annual Trayvon Martin Peace Walk and Talk, which took place just two days before what would have been Trayvon’s 29th birthday.
7News Miami reports that over the weekend, participants met at Walt Frazier Park in Carol City and marched to the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Complex in Miami Gardens, where they enjoyed food trucks, vendors, good music and motivational speakers. All of the festivities commemorated Trayvon, who never asked to be the martyr whose violent death would arguably catalyze the Black Lives Matter movement, but who became a martyr all the same.
“It shows the community that we didn’t forget about them, because in our time of need, the community didn’t forget about us,” Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, told 7 News Miami of the event. “It means a lot to us, and it means a lot for the community to come out and still support us 12 years later.”
The Peace Walk was organized by the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which was founded by his parents, Tracey and Sybrina Fulton. In the past, prominent Black celebs like Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hustle, who have both since passed away, attended the event in 2018.
Jay-Z was also in attendance at the walk that year.
Sybrina Fulton Pens 29th Birthday Message To Trayvon Martin
On Monday, Sybrina Fulton paid tribute to her late son with the following IG post.
She received support in the comments from the likes of Ava DuVernay who wrote; “He will never be forgotten. Ever. We love you, Sis,” and Ms. Tina Knowles who penned; “Love you Sabrinaâ¤ï¸ Happy Heavenly Birthday Trayvon.ð¹
Remembering Trayvon Martin
Trayvon is only one of countless young Black people to be killed by violent racists only to receive no justice. He was put on trial for his own death, just like Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and other high-profile victims, but unlike the cases of Arbery and Floyd, his killer remains free.
While it’s far too late for Trayvon and his family to receive the justice they deserve, we can not allow his name to be forgotten, and we cannot take our collective feet off of America’s neck when it comes to fighting on his behalf, and that of all Black lives that are treated with little worth in the so-called justice system.