Saturday will mark 10 years since Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager from Miami, was shot and killed while walking back to his dad鈥檚 place from a 7-Eleven in Sanford.
His killing by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman 鈥� who ultimately was not convicted 鈥� led to protests across the country.
Many say his case started the Black Lives Matter Movement.
On Feb. 5, Trayvon Martin鈥檚 parents 鈥� Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton 鈥� led a rally in Miami. Fulton spoke forcefully from the stage, and Tracy Martin talked about their son on what would have been his 27th birthday.
He 鈥榞alvanized鈥� the country
Trayvon Martin鈥檚 death is always going to be heartbreaking, his father said. 鈥淗is departure from life leaves an emptiness that, you know, it鈥檚 hard to fill. I don鈥檛 think that that void would ever be filled.
鈥淗is story is written, Trayvon is in the history books. 鈥� Just knowing that he galvanized the country and that he鈥檚 etched in the fabric of America, it means a lot. I think that, you know, he鈥檚 brought awareness. Certainly, he鈥檚 opened up the eyes of many people with injustices that occur in pockets that we don鈥檛 really know about.鈥�
Resting in power
Fulton said Trayvon Martin is resting in power as a symbol for victims of racial injustice.
鈥淢y son,鈥� she said, 鈥渋s the voice and sometimes the face for so many other Trayvon Martins that you don鈥檛 know.鈥�
And in response, Fulton is trying to do her part, she said. 鈥淚f you really want to support Trayvon Martin and all our young people, knowing that our children鈥檚 lives matter. Then just do your part. Do your part. That鈥檚 all I ask.鈥�
A proud father
Tracy Martin remembered his son as fun-loving and outgoing.
鈥淗e really loved his family,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淗e used to love riding motorcycles, on dirt bikes, skateboards. going skating. He used to love all of that.
鈥淎nd just just seeing him, you know, just planting the seed and watching that seed grow, watching him go from, you know, 4- or 5-, 6-year-old kid to a 10-, 11-year-old kid to 17-year-old young man 鈥� teen 鈥� just watching him grow into this it made me a proud dad. 鈥� This was a great kid whose life was taken away from us.鈥�
Martin sees some 鈥渢raction鈥� in the fight for racial justice.
鈥淏ut we still got a long way to go,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 going take, it鈥檚 going take more than one community to make change. It鈥檚 going to take a diversified community. It鈥檚 going to take all of us to work together.鈥�
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