The Black Lives Matter Movement: The Trayvon Martin Case

Social, psychological, and economic legacies forged by slavery have significantly defined the nature of minority and white relations in the United States. The night of February 26, 2012 and the events following exposed the ugly truth of the current state of race relations in America. On that night, Trayvon Martin a seventeen year old unarmed Black boy was fatally shot dead in the streets of Sanford, Florida by George Zimmerman. The tragic shooting and loss of Trayvon Martin sparked a conversation about race throughout the country. Many believed that the murder of Trayvon Martin was unjust and would not have happened if he was white. While others believed race had nothing to do with it and that the shooting was an act of self-defense. However the division in the country reached an all-time high after George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder. The inequality of the trial led to the creation of many new racial justice groups including the Black Lives Matter Movement. The Black Lives Matter Movement was formed to address the fact that racial inequality still existed. A subject that was uncomfortable for many Americans to talk about.
The injustices demonstrated by the Trayvon Martin case is a narrative that is too often repeated in this country not only in Black …show more content…
Racial justice advocates currently tackle inequalities by addressing different subject matters such as police brutality, mass incarceration, and the environment. Groups like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund advocate for underrepresented communities that are systematically targeted on the basis of race. Many of these communities are majority- minority. Even though minorities dominate the population they are still disadvantaged compared to their white