Today, on the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin, ColorOfChange published a video tribute to inspire all Americans to change society's treatment of black youth.
ColorOfChange fights racial injustice and the danger it presents to the basic safety of society. They organize campaigns against racially-motivated police practices like the NYPD's Stop and Frisk policy.
They are working to stop the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which pushed the "Shoot First" laws that George Zimmerman is citing to claim his actions were justified.
One year ago, Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed, 17 year-old Trayvon Martin because he thought the young man “looked suspicious.”
ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson writes,
'And one year later, what happened that night in Sanford, Florida still outrages us.'
'In a culture that inundates us with images of Black men as violent — not to be trusted, inherently criminal — we are continually reminded that something as simple as walking home from the corner store can draw unwanted attention that puts our very lives in danger. Black Americans face racial animosity every day, and far too often that animosity turns violent.'
Today as they mourn, they acknowledge that,
'If it weren't for the hundreds of thousands of you who spoke up to demand basic dignity and justice, Trayvon Martin's case would have been ignored — and George Zimmerman would have gone free.
'As our membership grows in number, so does our power to fight injustice. Please inspire others to join the fight by sharing this video with your friends and family.'
The movement that came together to demand justice for Trayvon demonstrates the power of the collective voice.
With pressure from more than 200,000 ColorOfChange members and the tireless advocacy of Trayvon Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, ColorofChange expects that George Zimmerman will have to answer in a court of law for killing young Trayvon Martin.
For anyone interested in supporting their work, Robinson assures readers that,
'We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.'
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