Eight years ago, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin tossed on a hoodie and made his way to local market to pick up a few snacks. He was in Sanford, Florida visiting his father’s fiancée at her townhouse and while he was returning from the store, George Zimmerman saw the teen, armed himself, called the police, and against dispatcher’s orders, chased Trayvon Martin down, engaged in a scuffle, and murdered him. Following a highly publicized trial, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges.
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Since the death of her son, Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, has been an activist and advocate, and on Sunday (May 31) she shared an Instagram post about George Floyd that touched on how mothers feel when their sons are taken from them, especially unjustly. “For every Mother, when #GeorgeFloyd yelled out for his Mom, it broke our heart,” Sybrina Fulton wrote in a text image. “#CircleOfMothers.” In the caption, she added, “And if you have a son or daughter in heaven, it hit differently… #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #ICantBreathe #CircleOfMothers.”
Viola Davis commented, “Sometimes we can make a murder of our people a metaphor,a social indictment. We forget that we are PEOPLE!! We are human. Him crying out for his mama is what keeps me up at night.” Jamie Foxx left praying hands emojis and thousands of others, including mothers who have lost their children for varying reasons, shared in her grief. Check it out below.
