All of last week, I was in Sanford, Florida, pursuing justice for Trayvon
Martin. I listened to community concerns about the Sanford Police Department,
and stood with Trayvon's parents and 30,000 others in Sanford, a town with only
50,000 residents.Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton have been pillars of
courage. Like Mamie Till after the brutal murder of her son Emmett, Tracy and
Sybrina have stood and shown the world what hate and violence have done to their
child, and the nation and the world have responded. Their leadership has
resulted in a global movement for justice for Trayvon and, most recently, in the
appointment of a special prosecutor to review their son's case.The
Seminole County branch of the NAACP has played a critical role in igniting this
movement for justice in Sanford. For more than 24 years, Seminole County NAACP
President Turner Clayton has served as a community leader, holding the city of
Sanford accountable and responsive to community concerns. On Thursday – in light
of pressure from Mr. Clayton and the branch to step aside – Sanford Police Chief
Bill Lee temporarily resigned from his post.The actions of you and
millions of others like you have already helped get the wheels of justice in
motion. We know Trayvon and his family have been in your thoughts and
prayers.Now stand up publicly and send those thoughts to Florida
State Attorney Angela Corey, who will be overseeing the grand jury
case:
http://action.naacp.org/page/m/474a342c/799991a0/7c86d433/2f6170dd/1146467902/VEsF/It is clear that the Sanford police have
badly mishandled the investigation into Trayvon's death. The routine mishandling
of similar cases by police, prosecutors and judges has eroded the Sanford
community's trust and fueled the perception that justice for our young men and
boys is of little consequence to law officials.Now, our most important
task is to make sure that the state's attorney assigned to this case will handle
it with passion and an eye for justice.Join our open call for justice
for Trayvon and our children:
http://action.naacp.org/page/m/474a342c/799991a0/7c86d433/2f6170dd/1146467902/VEsC/The
strength of this community gives me hope that justice will indeed be achieved in
Sanford. In the face of tragedy, the community has banded together and continues
to raise its collective voice for justice.Trayvon's family, the Sanford
community and the world lost a precious gift in Trayvon. Unfortunately, he is
not the only young person we've lost to senseless violence. Across the country,
our precious sons and daughters are being sacrificed all too frequently, with
justice arriving far too infrequently, if ever.We won't let it continue
to happen. We will keep speaking out, and we will keep raising our voices for
Trayvon and for all of our precious children.
