Turning Points in History – Trayvon Martin

Andrew McCormick, Year 9

Turning Points in HistoryTrayvon Martin

On February 26, 2012, at 7:16 pm, in Sanford, Florida, one gunshot was fired, sparking not only public outrage, but also one of the most influential black rights movements since Martin Luther King Jr and the 1960s. The death of Trayvon Martin was the start of a progressive movement to raise awareness of the injustice in the lives of many black Americans. Trayvon Martin, an innocent 17-year-old African-American male, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, triggering an onslaught of political unrest aimed at the American justice system and discrimination against minorities. The main reason that this trial drew so much attention is that ultimately the killer, George Zimmerman, was found Not Guilty.

Social activism of this kind is not a new thing; however, after the Trayvon Martin Case, it became more urgent than ever. The popular phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ became ubiquitous after the trial; the phrase is often used to exemplify the fact that the death of innocent black men and women can no longer be tolerated. The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) created a policy to push for legislative action to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. The NAACP also stated ‘one time is too many times’ alerting the public once again to the fact that if this issue was not rectified, these crimes would be normalised. But that wasn’t all. At Union Square in New York City, a peaceful march was held; it was nicknamed the ‘Million Hoodie March’ because Trayvon was wearing a hoodie when he was shot. This turning point in history triggered the largest black rights movement in America since the boycotts of the 1960s and ’70s.

Because of George Zimmerman’s acquittal, public outrage was universal within the black communities in the United States. This outrage gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement, which outlined the need for equality and declared that the death of innocent black men and women would no longer be tolerated. The catchphrase Black Lives Matter began when people noted how a racial bias existed after comparing statistics of black men to white men killed. For example, out of the approximately 326 million people living in the United States, 13.4% are black, in other words around 44 million people. So, for every white individual shot dead there are two black individuals shot dead. This disparity highlights the institutionalised racism black people face from birth. Black Lives Matter stated that it was ‘working for a world where black lives are no longer intentionally and systematically targeted for demise.’ This exemplifies how this shooting catalysed a change in the mindset of many Americans. It was a point at which ‘We [The Black Lives Matter group] began to understand the power of disruption’, enabling their plea to be heard. This movement was not only revolutionary in its quest to extinguish this kind of prejudicial behaviour throughout the United States, but also in the way it understood the impact a voice like Black Lives Matter can have.

With many existing groups also trying to help bring about social change, the NAACP created a policy to change state legislature. This policy, while consisting of many provisions, raised four key issues: repealing stand-yourground type laws; creating law enforcement accountability through effective police oversight; improving training and best practice for community watch groups; and mandating

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law enforcement data collection on homicide cases involving people of colour. The stand-your-ground law in Trayvon Martin’s case was the difference between judicial action and getting off without charge. As well, the NAACP made a statement when the shooting first happened stating ‘one time is too many times’. Five words that changed the view of many people. It created an idea that while we allow innocent men and women to die because of the colour of their skin, we are making a statement that this is tolerable. The group also stated ‘If we can end practices like racial profiling and remove misguided “stand-your-ground” laws from the books, we will make all community members safer.’ This shows the impact this shooting had on safety and the opinions of the community. By supporting this, the NAACP has helped show the power of voice and how much of a positive turning point for racial stereotyping this could be.

But the protests and public outcry did not end there, with hundreds of people of mixed races attending the Million Hoodie March in New York City out of support for the Trayvon Martin case. With the political climate beginning to change and the president weighing in with his opinion of the case, many people gathered in New York City for another uprising. Nicknamed the Million Hoodie March, this event was all over the global news and tried to creat political havoc within the justice system. The best example of the determination the families and supporters of the cause had was when Trayvon’s mum said ‘We’re not going to stop until we get justice for Trayvon.’ And she wasn’t wrong – to this day annual marches are held in support of Trayvon Martin. This support helped to reduce the racial bias amongst police officers even in the past six years. Throughout history, crimes, acts of hatred and discrimination have been prevalent; however, these crimes can actually lead to peace and inspire the rejection of destructive beliefs and ideologies. Civil uprisings like those in the 1960s and cases such as Trayvon Martin’s, spark revolutionary change in mindset and serve as a wake-up call for many people within the justice system. This incident caused the beginning of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement which is the current largest black rights group in America. Dozens of local marches were conducted; the Million Dollar Hoodie March was the largest and caused the shut-down of many New York streets. When the unrest was nearly over, Trayvon’s mum made a remark that will forever be engraved in many people’s hearts: ‘He was just a child’. For the movement for racial equality in the United States, the death of Trayvon Martin was the most significant turning point of the 21st Century.

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