In an act of strong, unified activism reminiscent of the civil rights movement, Indianapolis residents joined a national effort demanding justice for Trayvon Martin, an end to racial profiling and a review of controversial self-defense laws.
More than 200 people participated in the Justice for Trayvon rally in front of the Federal Courts Building downtown.
It was among rallies organized in cities across the country last Saturday by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN), which has called on the federal government to issue civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, who was recently found not guilty by a Florida jury of second degree murder in Martin’s 2012 shooting death.
Indianapolis ministers, who organized the rally here, offered words of hope and specific action steps to participants, some of whom held signs in support of Martin as they stood in light drizzle on the overcast day.
“This is an opportunity for us to mobilize and strategize as part of a national effort,” said Rev. Stephen Clay, president of the local NAN chapter and pastor of Messiah Missionary Baptist Church.
Applause and agreements from the crowd erupted after Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson Sr. of Eastern Star Church described the verdict in Zimmerman’s case as a miscarriage of justice similar to the 1992 acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King.
“There’s something very wrong in this country when Michael Vick can be sent to prison for killing dogs, but a man can shoot and kill a young, unarmed Black teenager and not be held accountable,” Johnson said.
Rally organizers said in addition to supporting a federal examination of Martin’s death, one of their top goals is to have a conversation with Gov. Mike Pence and legislators about rewriting the state’s stand-your-ground law.
Indiana is among 30 states that have some form of the stand-your-ground law, a self-defense measure that gives individuals the right to use reasonable force to defend themselves without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation.
In other words, an individual can use force against someone they view as a threat, without first making an effort to remove themselves from the situation.
Zimmerman did not use Florida’s stand your ground law in his defense, but the judge hearing his case mentioned it in her instructions to the jury. It has also been cited frequently in the national debate over whether or not Zimmerman acted in self-defense.
In Indiana, deadly force can be used if a person is trying to prevent themselves or someone from being injured, to “prevent a forcible felony,” to stop an attack or unlawful entry into their home.
Deadly force is not justified if the person “entered into combat with another person,” is the initial aggressor who started a conflict or the other person expresses a desire to end the conflict.
Martindale-Brightwood resident Robert Perkins was among passionate rally participants who went downtown to condemn Zimmerman’s acquittal and urgently speak out on ways to prevent other youth from losing their lives like Martin.
“If I’m walking down the street and someone is following me for two blocks, I’m going to stop and say ‘Hey man, is there a problem?’” Perkins said. “I don’t care if Trayvon was out of his neighborhood, it wasn’t (Zimmerman’s) place to follow that young man, especially when he had been told he didn’t have to do it. He disobeyed the law.”
India Lane, who has worked as a public defender in the Marion County court system, believes there was enough evidence in the Zimmerman trial for him to be found guilty, but the prosecution did not present a strong enough case.
She added that at least the case awakened families of all races to the notion that their sons could be killed if they merely walk down a street dressed a certain way.
“People finally realize that their child, if they come out wearing a hoodie with their pants sagging, could be in danger,” Lane said. “What if that child’s back is turned and nobody could tell he was white, and he got shot. That’s what has made this resonate with people even beyond the Black community.”
Amy Droege said she came to the rally because it offered a chance for people to work together in finding solutions in the wake of Zimmerman’s acquittal.
“The only way we can get hope in this situation is to stand united instead of being in isolation. In unity we can have hope,” she said.
Droege, who is white, added that she had encountered someone who was surprised to see her at the rally.
“I told them that if you’re surprised that I’m here, that shows you how much further we need to go as a country,” she said.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Rick Hite was among law enforcement officials on hand to ensure that the rally was peaceful, and he also took out time to personally speak with citizens about their concerns.
“I love the rally, but I want to see what will happen after the cameras are gone and the people are gone,” he said. “What I hope to see are people taking that same energy, dealing with the violence in our community and recognizing that we have Trayvons killing Trayvons.”
Hite believes the community should have a serious discussion about various laws involving self-defense and various criminal charges that can land individuals in prison.
“These laws have been around for a long time, but the only time they come into play is when someone’s affected by it, usually in a negative way to the point where they’re losing their life,” he said. “We need to be proactive, educate people about these laws and have more prevention and intervention.”
Janice Zachery said she had no idea what the stand-your-ground law was until Martin’s death, and encourages citizens to become more involved in how laws are shaped by attending sessions of the state Legislature and the City-County Council.
“We have to change the laws, and the only way we can do that is to go to meetings where the laws are being made and make our voices heard,” she said. “We go to the beauty shop, mall and church and there’s nothing wrong with those things. But we also need to make time for things that will affect our children and grandchildren for years to come.”
Saturday’s rally brought citizens of different political, racial and religious persuasions together. It ended early because of rain, but Imam Mikal Saahir of Nur-Allah Islamic Center described it as fitting, because it also rained here on the day Martin was killed.
Saahir described Martin’s slaying and Zimmerman’s acquittal as a “travesty” and a sign that the country still has work to do in healing deep-seeded divides.
“We all, as Americans, need to take moral inventory of our prejudices, bias and cultural upbringing with the intent of purifying our lives as we strive to be better servants of our Creator and citizens contributing to the greatness of our country,” Saahir said.
