Trayvon Martin docuseries sets summer premiere date

Paramount Network has slotted July 30 at 10 p.m. for the premiere of “Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.” The network also unveiled the full trailer for the six-part original docuseries, which recounts the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin, whose 2012 shooting death polarized the nation and gave rise to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Trayvon Martin was an unarmed 17-year-old African-American high school student shot and killed by a neighborhood watch member in the Sanford, Florida, community on Feb. 26, 2012, where he was visiting a friend with his father. George Zimmerman was acquitted of a second-degree murder charge, claiming he shot Martin in self-defense.

The fatal encounter between Martin and Zimmerman and the subsequent trial sparked nationwide outrage and protests and shined an unforgiving light on issues including race, politics, power, money and gun control.

Interviews combined with home videos, family photos and news footage provide an intimate look at the story of a young life tragically cut short and that spurred a movement giving rise to a rallying cry that still resonates today, #BlackLivesMatter.

Featured in the docuseries, co-directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby-Nason, are Trayvon Martin’s parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin; Martin family lawyer Benjamin Crump, Angela Rye, Reverend Al Sharpton, Angela Davis and Carmelo Anthony, among others.

“Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story” also addresses the significant cultural and societal issues surrounding the tragedy as well as an in-depth examination into the investigation, trial and the not-guilty verdict.