Trayvon Martin’s mother: ‘I will continue to fight for my sons’

Trayvon Martin’s mother, now a powerful voice in the national conversation on race, is demanding Seattleites take action if they want real change.

Martin’s death in 2012 and the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the man who killed him, are often credited as the events that jump started the Black Lives Matter movement.

Three years later, Zimmerman is still mired in controversy, though it’s moved to the digital sphere. Last week, an apparent fan of Zimmerman tweeted a photo of Martin’s body with a caption that read, “Z man is a one man army.” Zimmerman retweeted it to his 15,000 followers.

Despite the ugly backdrop, Sybrina Fulton was an almost strikingly calm presence, even when she spoke of her son’s death before her speech Monday at Seattle University.

“Trayvon could have been anybody’s teenager walking home from the store,” she said.

“He was not committing any crime,” she continued. “He was not carrying a weapon … I think it was absolutely because of the color of his skin. We have to say those things even though it may be uncomfortable for us.”

Fulton explained that she hopes she can be an inspiration to students.

“I want to empower them to make changes in their community,” she said.

Fulton said she does not believe the state and federal government are doing enough to prevent senseless violence and she said she will continue to fight for both her boys. Trayvon’s brother Jahvaris turned 25 on Monday.

“We need more awareness, in order to see real change,” she said.