After a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin, those seeking justice for the slain African-American teenager are considering their next options.
Activists who believe Martin was unnecessarily killed as an unarmed victim of racial profiling say measures must be taken to not only ensure that his death is thoroughly investigated, but to also prevent other youth from losing their lives the same way.
“The reality is, if that happens to one of our sons of any color in this country, we expect somebody to be held accountable,” said Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Jealous is among a movement of activists, leaders and concerned citizens who are calling on the federal government to hold Zimmerman accountable and conduct its own investigation into Martin’s death.
The NAACP has an online petition asking the U.S. Department of Justice to bring federal charges against Zimmerman for the February 2012 shooting of Martin.
Thus far, nearly a million people have signed the petition, the organization says.
Jealous said in addition to pursuing federal charges, the NAACP will also “continue to fight for the removal of stand-your-ground laws in every state, and will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed.”
Locally, a coalition of ministers with the Indiana chapter of Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) are encouraging residents to let their voices be heard among those calling for a federal investigation.
On July 20, the ministers will host a Justice for Trayvon Vigil in front of the Federal Courts Building downtown from noon to 1:15 p.m. NAN is organizing vigils in cities nationwide to press a federal investigation into charges against Zimmerman.
Among the organizing pastors are Rev. Stephen Clay of Messiah Missionary Baptist Church (local NAN president), Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson Sr. of Eastern Star Church, Pastor Mike Jones of Progressive Baptist Church and Dr. David Hampton of Light of the World Christian Church.
“What we’re trying to do is to have the Department of Justice resume the investigation that was suspended when Zimmerman was first brought to trial,” Clay said.
Although Zimmerman was found not guilty of murder and is no longer under threat of jail time, he could still face prosecution in a case involving Martin’s death.
In addition to a federal investigation, Martin’s family could present a civil case against Zimmerman, which could cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and cause financial ruin.
“They are certainly going to look at that as an option,” Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Martin’s family, said this week. “They deeply want a sense of justice. They deeply don’t want their son’s death to be in vain.”
Some activists note that while additional legal measures against Zimmerman should be pursued, it is also important to remember to reach out to youth and help prevent them from being in situations where their lives are placed at risk.
“We need to listen to our youth, and empower young men to leave the negative history they have behind them, and to start making new history by looking toward the future,” said Rev. Malachi Walker, founder of Young Men Inc., a summer empowerment camp in Indianapolis designed to teach positive skills to at-risk young males. “The community and church must also work together to improve the quality of life for our young men.”
Malachi and Congressman André Carson believe that discussions about youth and their future should be facilitated, and Carson encourages the creation of youth councils nationwide that would offer a venue to pinpoint solutions to problems related to violence, education, economics and racial profiling.
“Ultimately, we need to be building the next generation of leaders – people who will be Trayvon Martin’s voice,” Carson said.
Rally for Trayvon Martin
The Indiana Chapter of the National Action Network (NAN) will host the Justice for Trayvon Vigil on July 20 at 46 E. Ohio St. (in front of the Federal Courts Building downtown) from noon to 1:15 p.m. It will be part of more than 100 vigils held in cities across the country.
