Dream Defenders end Capitol sit-in over Zimmerman verdict
News Service of Florida
August 15, 2013
After sitting in at the Florida Capitol for 31 days — since just after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin — the group called the Dream Defenders ended its protest Thursday with the help of civil-rights icon Julian Bond.
Leaders said they'll carry their campaign against the "stand your ground" self-defense law and what they consider other forms of racial bias to the polls, trying to defeat the elected officials who opposed their demands.
That includes Gov. Rick Scott, who is up for re-election next year. The Dream Defenders announced a voter-registration drive, with a goal of 61,550 new voters — Scott's margin of victory in 2010.
"Our work and our power have grown too big for these walls," said Phillip Agnew, leader of the Dream Defenders.
The group marched to the Capitol on July 16 and demanded a special session on "stand your ground," which they didn't get. But they got a national hearing, and Bond, founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and a longtime Georgia lawmaker, declared their nonviolent action a success in the tradition of the 1960s civil-rights movement.
"It's fitting that the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington is coming up in a few days," he said. "That movement made this movement possible, and that movement — your movement — gave our movement its legacy."
The protest ignited when Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of the unarmed teen Martin. Although Zimmerman's attorneys did not invoke the "stand your ground" law, which grants immunity to people who use deadly force if they have reason to believe their lives are in jeopardy, the circumstances of Martin's death touched a nerve among many black, Hispanic and mixed-race people.
Members of the Dream Defenders are mostly high-school and college students — "black and brown youth," they call themselves.
They've spent the past month in Scott's office waiting area, telling stories of losing loved ones to gun violence or experiencing racism in school or on the street. They worked laptops, smartphones and video cameras from the third-floor House Democratic office, getting the word out online. They slept on the floor outside the governor's double doors.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-zimmerman-trayvon-dream-defenders-20130815,0,6451009.story
Trayvon Martin
Trayvon Martin's father named honorary captain of FAMU football team
By Chris Hays | Orlando Sentinel
August 12, 2013
TALLAHASSEE — Trayvon Martin’s father has been named honorary captain of the FAMU football team after delivering an inspirational speech to the team Sunday.
Florida A&M coach Earl Holmes said Tracy Martin, whose son’s shooting death in Sanford drew national attention, called him recently and the coach invited the grieving father to address his players.
“[We] talked and I told him I’d love him to talk to the team. He came out and he was very, very encouraging,” Holmes said. “ . . . [He] got a standing ovation from our guys. He talked about just persevering and told the guys to keep on pushing through the hard times. The message he shared with the kids was very positive and they were very responsive.”
Since George Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in connection with Trayvon Martin’s death in Sanford, his parents have been seeking support for the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
Holmes said Tracy Martin will be an honorary captain for the Rattlers this season. Martin is scheduled to be on the field for the pregame coin toss when FAMU plays it season opener against Mississippi Valley State, Sept. 1 during the MEAC-SWAC Challenge at the Citrus Bowl. Kickoff is at 11:45 a.m. and the game will air on ESPN.
Holmes said his players were moved by Martin’s speech.
“He had some inspiring words and the guys played off of that,” Holmes said. “And we’re going to keep pushing for him and his foundation. He’ll be an honorary captain for us this year and he’s welcome any time.
“I think what he’s doing with the foundation is big and it speaks volumes and I want the football team and FAMU Nation to be part of that.”
The purpose of the foundation, according to its website trayvonmartinfoundation.org, is to create awareness about how violent crime impacts the families of the victims and to provide support for those families.
“At the end of the day, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, a parent lost a child. He can live through us and we’re going to push on for him,” Holmes said. “That was a very, very powerful meeting and a powerful message he gave to the kids. You could see it . . . the guys’ eyes just lit up.”
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-trayvon-martin-father-honorary-captain-famu-football-20130812,0,7393770.story
