The mother of Trayvon Martin used the 10th anniversary of the teen’s death Saturday to say she’s “standing strong,” while urging others to continue fighting with her for social justice.
“We have to continue to hold people accountable for killing our loved ones,” Sybrina Fulton, while speaking at a meeting of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem. “We have to continue to support our children, our families … We can’t give up. We’ve come too far.”
“If you don’t do anything else, don’t give up – that’s my message,” Fulton added. “Don’t ever give up. Ten years later, I’m still standing strong.”
The unarmed black teen was shot dead by George Zimmerman while walking in a Florida neighborhood in 2012.
Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the 17-year-old’s death in July 2013, on grounds of self-defense. The acquittal led to widespread protests, national debates on the use of force and helped spur the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fulton and other family members of Martin were joined by Sharpton, Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other supporters.
Mayor Adams credited Fulton, who started the Trayvon Martin Foundation, for turning “the dark moment of losing her baby at 17” into a positive.
“Today, we see the fruits of her harvest in the foundation that she has established to continue to pursue the justice we are looking for,” the mayor said.
In 2012, Adams was one of six state senators who wore hoodies to a legislative session to call attention to Martin’s death in Sanford, Florida.
The mayor also compared fighting for justice for Martin to fighting against bigotry and hate crime crimes in New York City.
“Trayvon was shot and killed because of who he looked like, that is what you’re seeing,” said Adams. “If someone is Asian, they are being murdered because of who they look like.
“If we stand our ground for Trayvon, we are standing our ground for every group in the city.”
