On February 26th, a teenager named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, who was at the time a neighborhood crime-watch volunteer. Over time there has been a lot of controversy about this incident. For starters, the teenager was unarmed and was carrying snacks in his hand, candy and an iced tea to be exact. George Zimmerman claimed that the shooting was in self-defense against the teenager Trayvon Martin. Due to this notion, some people at the time saw Zimmerman as the victim. Some people were firm believers of using their gun rights. NBA players like Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, along with many others, felt completely differently about the situation. They were only a few miles away at an NBA All-Star Game when this incident happened. Upon hearing about the situation, Dwyane Wade posted on his social media accounts a selfie picture in solidary wearing a black hoodie. Lebron James posted on his social media accounts a team picture of them all wearing black hoodies bowing their heads down with the caption saying “WeWantJustice”. This made a huge statement, not just in the NBA, but all around the world. That sparked additional controversy of the viewpoint that the teenage was only shot because he was a black boy wearing a hoodie and was automatically assumed to be trouble. It is an issue that has been continuing throughout centuries and many thought that it was time for something to be done about this racial injustice.
The Miami Heat players scratched Trayvon’s name into their game sneakers, other players wore custom made hoodies in honor of Trayvon Martin as well, some high schools did walkouts in order to protest. There was even a petition created to seek justice with over a million signatures. The NBPA declared for Zimmerman’s “prompt arrest,” along with a review of the Sanford Police Department. Media played a huge role in Zimmermans arrest when a poll surfaced stating that over 75% of society wanted an arrest. Geraldo Rivera from the Fox News Channel stated on ‘Fox & Friends’ that the hoodie Trayvon Martin wore when he was shot was as much responsible for his death as the man who shot him, Geroge Zimmerman, was. He later disclaimed his comment, confirming that his statement was “politically incorrect”. NBC News Channel edited the recorded conversation numerous times of Zimmermans phone call with the police, which slightly manipulated the conversation by leaving out the operator asking about Trayvon’s race and clothing. The news channel led the audience to believe that Zimmerman mentioned seeing a black guy wearing dark clothing and feels in danger, as if he was profiling him. This could have been a biased action on their part, but the networks issued a public apology and claimed the conversation edit was not intentional. Some networks will toe the controversy line for ratings and viewers.
The jury ultimately found him not guilty of this crime for lack of evidence. It could not be proven that it was not self-defense, so they could not convict him. With all the tragic racial events that has happened since this incident, such as George Floyd being killed by a cop in 2020, it has opened many more people’s eyes on how race hugely played a role in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. As time goes on, I hope that as individuals we can continue making positive uplifting statements regarding any injustices around the world until there is no more injustice.
