ckaihatsu
23rd March 2012, 01:51
March for Justice for Trayvon Martin in Chicago
Trayvon Martin
Also on Sat.: Protest for Trayvon Martin
12 Noon at Daley Plaza (118 N. Clark)
Sat., March 24: U.S., NATO & the Struggle
against Imperialism with ANSWER Chicago
Coordinator John Beacham
March for Justice for Trayvon Martin in Chicago
** Forward this e-mail now
Friday, March 23 at 7 pm
Channel 7 Studios at State & Lake
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/396745330353271/
A message from ANSWER Coalition organizer Peta Lindsay:
On Feb. 26 in Seminole County, Fla., George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. The 17-year-old Black youth was walking home from the store. Martin was unarmed with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea in his pockets. Zimmerman, captain of the local neighborhood watch, pursued Martin and gunned him down in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses. Zimmerman stated that the unarmed Black teen appeared “suspicious” and “threatening.” As of the time of this writing, Zimmerman has not been arrested.
What was so threatening about Trayvon Martin? Only the color of his skin. In order to deflect from the racist nature of the crime, recent news reports have proclaimed that George Zimmerman is not white, as was first reported. The issue is NOT whether Zimmerman is white. The issue is that Trayvon Martin was killed for being Black. And Zimmerman has gotten away with it so far, because killing a Black man rarely brings severe legal penalties in this country. Just look at Johannes Mehserle, the former transit cop who got out after serving less than one year for killing Oscar Grant in Oakland, Calif.
What happened to Trayvon Martin proves, as do the cases of Emmet Till, Oscar Grant and literally hundreds of other cases that have shaped the nightmares of every Black parent—that Black youth (almost always male) can be targeted and killed with virtual impunity in the United States.
The extent to which Black people have won respect, consideration and representation under this system is the extent to which we have organized and fought for it. That now, both the FBI and Seminole County feel obliged to investigate this case reflects the outraged struggle sparked by this killing. We live under a racist system that cares not about people’s lives but only about the exploitation of our labor. Our very survival depends on the ability of young people to carry this fight forward.
Trayvon Martin’s family deserves justice. And Black people all over the U.S. deserve a society that values Black lives, protects Black children and holds vile racist murderers accountable. We must organize and fight. The only reason that the Justice Department is investigating the killing of Trayvon Martin is because of the outrage of the masses.
ANSWER Chicago
http://www.answerchicago.org
773-463-0311
Trayvon Martin
Also on Sat.: Protest for Trayvon Martin
12 Noon at Daley Plaza (118 N. Clark)
Sat., March 24: U.S., NATO & the Struggle
against Imperialism with ANSWER Chicago
Coordinator John Beacham
March for Justice for Trayvon Martin in Chicago
** Forward this e-mail now
Friday, March 23 at 7 pm
Channel 7 Studios at State & Lake
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/396745330353271/
A message from ANSWER Coalition organizer Peta Lindsay:
On Feb. 26 in Seminole County, Fla., George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. The 17-year-old Black youth was walking home from the store. Martin was unarmed with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea in his pockets. Zimmerman, captain of the local neighborhood watch, pursued Martin and gunned him down in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses. Zimmerman stated that the unarmed Black teen appeared “suspicious” and “threatening.” As of the time of this writing, Zimmerman has not been arrested.
What was so threatening about Trayvon Martin? Only the color of his skin. In order to deflect from the racist nature of the crime, recent news reports have proclaimed that George Zimmerman is not white, as was first reported. The issue is NOT whether Zimmerman is white. The issue is that Trayvon Martin was killed for being Black. And Zimmerman has gotten away with it so far, because killing a Black man rarely brings severe legal penalties in this country. Just look at Johannes Mehserle, the former transit cop who got out after serving less than one year for killing Oscar Grant in Oakland, Calif.
What happened to Trayvon Martin proves, as do the cases of Emmet Till, Oscar Grant and literally hundreds of other cases that have shaped the nightmares of every Black parent—that Black youth (almost always male) can be targeted and killed with virtual impunity in the United States.
The extent to which Black people have won respect, consideration and representation under this system is the extent to which we have organized and fought for it. That now, both the FBI and Seminole County feel obliged to investigate this case reflects the outraged struggle sparked by this killing. We live under a racist system that cares not about people’s lives but only about the exploitation of our labor. Our very survival depends on the ability of young people to carry this fight forward.
Trayvon Martin’s family deserves justice. And Black people all over the U.S. deserve a society that values Black lives, protects Black children and holds vile racist murderers accountable. We must organize and fight. The only reason that the Justice Department is investigating the killing of Trayvon Martin is because of the outrage of the masses.
ANSWER Chicago
http://www.answerchicago.org
773-463-0311