Tuesday, Feb. 26, is the seven-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s tragic shooting. Kamala Harris and other prominent figures discussed how his untimely death sparked the Black Lives Matter Movement and spurred a nationwide debate on the consequences of racial profiling.
Martin, 17, was unarmed and walking home from the store when he was shot and killed Feb. 26, 2012, by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood community watch member in Stanford, Florida.
Zimmerman called the authorities and described the teen who was wearing a hoodie and carrying a can of Arizona and a bag of skittles as “suspicious.” He proceeded to follow Martin although a dispatcher told him, “Sir, we don’t need you to do that.”
Moments later, the sound of gunshots erupted through the neighborhood and Zimmerman, who said he suffered injuries to his head and nose, said he shot the teen in self-defense, according to CNN,.
One year later, Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder because of the state’s “stand your ground” law.
Martin, who would have turned 24 on Feb. 5, had dreams of attending the University of Miami or Florida A&M before pursuing working in the aviation field.
On Tuesday, presidential candidate Kamala Harris commented on the young man’s death.
“It’s been seven years since we unjustly lost Trayvon Martin,” Harris tweeted. “His tragic death was not just a moment in history — it sparked a movement and his legacy continues to live through our fight for justice. We must be better than this.”
Look at who else commemorated Martin below.
#TrayvonMartin was killed #OTD seven years ago.
— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) February 26, 2019
All of us owe it to Trayvon to keep fighting for justice – every single day. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/ZZv8GEKT19
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