Greene County Democrat

Tag: Trayvon Martin

  • Newswire : ‘The work that remains’: Ben Crump commemorates Michael Brown’s life 10 years later with call to action

    Brown family attorney, Benjamin L. Crump, speaks to the media along with Lesley McSpadden (L) and Michael Brown Sr. (R) during a press conference outside the St. Louis County Court Building on April 23, 2015. in Clayton, Missouri. Family members announced a civil lawsuit over the death of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. | Source: Michael B. Thomas / Getty

    By: Editor at NewsOne

     

    Civil rights attorney Ben Crump commemorated the life and death of Michael Brown Jr. on Friday — 10 years since the tragic police shooting death of the 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri — with a call to action in the name of social justice and reforming law enforcement.
    Crump was the attorney representing Brown’s family — Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden — and their fight for justice after now-former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson gunned down their loved one with six fatal shots on Aug. 9, 2014. The shooting led to what’s been called the Ferguson Uprising, a series of protests that began the day after Brown Jr.’s death and also contributed to the rise of the national, powerful and highly influential Black Lives Matter movement.
    Crump, a longtime advocate for consequences for police misconduct who has been retained to work on some of the biggest social justice cases in modern history — including Trayvon Martin’s brutal shooting death by a vigilante in Florida in 2013 and George Floyd’s police murder in Minneapolis in 2020 — on Friday marked the somber anniversary in part by recalling the effect that Brown Jr.’s death had not on just Black America, but also the U.S. at large.
    “Ten years after the tragic death of Michael Brown, we are reminded of the profound impact his loss has had on the fight for justice and the movement for Black lives,” Crump said in a statement that was shared with NewsOne. “Michael’s death was a catalyst for a racial reckoning in our society, particularly relating to law enforcement and their treatment of people of color. His memory compels us to keep fighting against the injustices that have plagued our communities for far too long.”
    Still, Crump added, while much progress has been made, there is still quite a ways to go to ensure that Brown Jr. didn’t die in vain.
    “But while we reflect on the progress made, we must also acknowledge the work that remains,” Crump continued. “Michael’s death, like the deaths of so many others, is a painful reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive reforms that ensure no other family has to endure the heartbreak of losing a loved one to police violence.”
    Crump concluded his statement: “Today, we honor Michael Brown’s legacy by renewing our commitment to justice, equality, and the relentless pursuit of change. His life mattered, and his memory continues to fuel our resolve to build a world where Black lives are valued and protected.”

  • Newswire: After guilty verdicts, Civil Rights Leaders exhort Black America to ‘Never Stop Running for Ahmaud’

    By Stacy Brown, NNPA Newswire

    After nearly two years of pain, suffering, and wondering if the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery would pay for their heinous crime, the 25-year-old’s family finally received justice.
    A Glynn County, Georgia, convicted Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan of felony murder. “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty,” civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump exclaimed.
    “Nothing will bring back Ahmaud, but his family will have some peace knowing the men who killed him will remain behind bars and can never inflict their brand of evil on another innocent soul,” Crump continued.
    NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson called the verdicts long overdue. “Ahmaud Arbery’s death was unnecessary and fueled by racist ideologies deeply engrained into the fabric of this nation,” Johnson insisted. “Generations of Black people have seen this time and time again, with the murder of Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, and many others,” he continued.
    “The actions and events perpetrated by the McMichaels and William Bryan leading up to Ahmaud’s death reflect a growing and deepening rift in America that will be its undoing if not addressed on a systemic level. “We must fix what is genuinely harming our nation: white supremacy.”
    The jury found Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery in February 2020, guilty of all nine charges, including malice murder and four counts of felony murder.
    The panel found his father, Gregory, not guilty of malice murder but convicted him on felony murder, unlawful imprisonment, and other charges.
    Bryan escaped a guilty verdict on malice murder, but the jury found him guilty of three felony murder counts, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal intent to commit a felony.
    The men, who also face federal charges, could spend life in prison when sentenced. Judge Timothy Walmsley bound the men over and will soon set a sentencing date.
    “Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today. This tragedy should have never happened,” said Florida Congresswoman Val Demings, who is a Democrat. “I am keeping his family in my prayers. But we must move forward together to dispel the shadows of our past and to ensure the safety and civil rights of every American,” Demings asserted.
    Crump insisted that Black America must keep fighting for civil rights and justice. “This case, by all accounts, should have been opened and closed,” Crump demanded.
    “The violent stalking and lynching of Ahmaud Arbery was documented on video for the world to witness. Yet, because of the deep cracks, flaws, and biases in our systems, we were left to wonder if we would ever see justice,” Crump remarked.
    “[The verdict] indicates progress, but we are nowhere close to the finish line. America, you raised your voices for Ahmaud. Now is not the time to let them quiet. Keep marching. Keep fighting for what is right. And never stop running for Ahmaud.”

  • Trayvon Martin, who dream of being a pilot, to receive Honorary Aviation Degree Florida Memorial University will posthumously award Martin at the HBCU’s commencement this month.

    By Taryn Finley
    Trayvon M
    Trayvon Martin at aviation high school

    An aviation school in Florida is honoring Trayvon Martin with a posthumous degree at its commencement this month.
    Florida Memorial University, a historically black college, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that the 17-year-old, who was gunned down by a neighborhood watchman in 2012, will receive a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science with a concentration in flight education on May 13.
    The degree will honor the “steps he took during his young life toward becoming a pilot.” His parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, will accept the degree on his behalf.
    The university’s president, Roslyn Clark, said that awarding the posthumous degree is important for the school and noted that Fulton is an alumna of the HBCU.
    ` “Of special significance is awarding posthumously the Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation to Trayvon Martin. Sybrina, our alum, epitomizes strength and dignity as she uplifts other victims of violence while effecting change for a more equal and just society,” Clark said in the press release.
    In addition to the degree, the HBCU will host a post-commencement fundraiser. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Trayvon Martin Foundation, which is headquartered at the college.
    Before he was killed, Martin had dreams of becoming a pilot. Fulton told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012 that her son spent time studying at George T. Baker Aviation School during his freshman year of high school. Martin was inspired by his uncle, Ronald Fulton, who had a brief career in aviation. Barrington Irving ― who in 2007 became the youngest person at the time to pilot a plane around the world solo ― also had a big influence on Martin’s interest after he started attending Irving’s summer youth programs.
    “He loved flying and working with his hands. Barrington Irving took him on his plane at the Opa-Locka Airport. He got a chance to sit in the cockpit and that did it for him,” Fulton told the Times. “He wanted to be a pilot or work as a mechanic in aviation. He was mechanically inclined and could fix just about anything.”
    Neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman killed Martin five years ago in Florida. Zimmerman called 911 to report that Martin, who was carrying an Arizona Watermelon Fruit Juice and Skittles, looked suspicious. Despite dispatchers instructing Zimmerman not to pursue the teen, he did anyway. He got into a fight with Martin and fatally shot him.
    Martin’s death sparked protest nationwide and led to the creation of Black Lives Matter. Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in 2013.