Trayvon Martin, a Florida youngster, is fatally shot

February 26
African American adolescent Trayvon Martin was killed on February 26, 2012, when he was returning home from a convenience store by George Zimmerman. After being charged with second-degree murder, Zimmerman maintained that he had acted in self-defense. He was cleared of all charges after a high-profile trial that gripped America. Organizer Alicia Garza then used the phrase “Black lives matter” for the first time in response to Zimmerman’s conviction.
Police declined to charge Zimmerman despite his claims that he acted in self-defense. In response to the shooting, President Barack Obama remarked, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” The incident brought Florida’s contentious Stand Your Ground statute to light.
A jury of six women ruled Trayvon Martin Zimmerman not guilty on July 13 after 16 hours of deliberation over two days. In court, the prosecution painted Zimmerman as a would-be police officer who had pursued Martin after identifying him as a criminal and engaged in combat with him. He only shot Martin, according to the defense counsel, when the kid assaulted him.
Nationwide protests, including the Million Hoodie March, were sparked by Martin’s killing. The Black Lives Matter Network was founded by Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors in 2013. “Eradicate white supremacy and develop local power,” is the network’s stated aim.

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