Today is Friday 26 February 2021. It is the anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. He was shot to death by George Zimmerman on this day in 2012 nine years ago. It is a confusing case fraught with contradictions and uncertainty. It was the beginnings of the social movement that later became Black Lives Matter.

The uncertainty stems from the testimony of the only witness to the entire evening, the shooter. Trayvon couldn’t testify. He was dead.

Here’s the only thing that is certain about the evening: When the shooter called into the police dispatcher that he had seen a suspicious person in the neighborhood he was explicitly told not to exit his vehicle. He exited his vehicle and the confrontation ensued. If it weren’t for Zimmerman disobedience, Trayvon Martin would very likely still be alive today.

Zimmerman precipitated the confrontation. He was armed.

It didn’t have to turn out the way that it did.

The Civil War Never Ended: ‘Sum Of Us’ Examines The Hidden Cost Of Racism — For Everyone — Fresh Air on NPR

It is yet further evidence that the law and actions by the justice system are designed to hurt Black people first and worst.

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“Rally for Trayvon Martin 6” by Ryan Vaarsi is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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“Trayvon Martin verdict protest New York City photos 1 of 2DSC_0151” by Michael Fleshman is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0