ROBERTO GONZALEZ/GETTY IMAGES
Voices
male — if you are on the side of
truth and progress you must rally
this Saturday and push for a federal investigation. If we allow the
killing of an unarmed Black teenager to be turned into some sort of
circus where the responsible party
blames the victim, then we have
reached the height of absurdity.
But in this moment of frustration, we cannot become so disillusioned that we lose focus. We will
not get hopeless in this situation,
we will get organized.
Watching protests take place
across the country in support of
Trayvon was encouraging. Overwhelmingly peaceful, these demonstrations brought together a
cross section of people from all
backgrounds and ages to demand
justice. We must continue with
that same passion and vigor this
Saturday, and in the weeks and
months ahead. NAN and Martin
Luther King III will commemorate
the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s
“March on Washington for Jobs
and Freedom” next month. Another key central theme of the rally
will be justice for Trayvon and the
protection of civil rights for all the
Trayvons of the nation. We will
convene in Washington, D.C., on
August 24 for the “National Ac-
REV. AL
SHARPTON
tion to Realize the Dream” demonstration. Just as a multiethnic
rally of hundreds of thousands
pushed for change 50 years ago,
we shall do the same in 2013.
Closely observing the Zimmerman trial, one fact served as a glaring reminder of the insanity of the
entire fiasco: Zimmerman never
was a cop. He was a citizen who was
told by 911 dispatchers not to follow
Trayvon; he was told, “We don’t
HUFFINGTON
07.21.13
Supporters
gather and
pray at a
memorial
for Trayvon
Martin in
April 2012.