John Minchillo/Associated Press
As I walk upon the stairs of Union Square Part for the Million Hoodie March yesterday, I overheard a 5-year old boy say “Mommy, why are we marching?” The mother gently fixed his hoodie and kindly explained to him what was going on.
The Million Hoodie March was a nationwide protest that was lead on by the outrage of a Sanford, FL murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old child who was shot and killed at point-blank range by a vigilante by the name of George Zimmerman, while being on his way home from the local store.
The 911 tapes, which were released to the public, clearly had an exchange between the two, including the shot that killed Trayvon, after 911 operators clearly stated to Zimmerman NOT to confront Trayvon and the child begging for his life. Zimmerman claimed it was self-defense.
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Trayvon’s weapons were only a pack of Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea.
As Trayvon passes on, Zimmerman still walks free.
“Our son is your son,” says Trayvon’s parents, Tracy Martin & Sybrina Fulton, into a huge crowd at the park yesterday as the people shouted “Justice for Trayvon!”
This event was attended by every man, woman, and child (children as young as 2), but mostly it was the voices of the African-American youth that was heard in the streets to stop the stereotypes and the racial profiling. Some marched with picket signs for the injustice to stop, some with Skittles and cans of iced tea in tow. As we walked along to 23rd Street and back, some protester shouted, “Why stop here? Let’s take this to Times Square!” And that’s exactly what we did.
DEEPTI HAJELA/Associated Press
Of course, in light of the march, the NYPD had to show their blue colors, pushing and shoving the peaceful protesters onto the sidewalk, with me being one of them, getting shoved on the intersection of 14th Street and 6th Avenue. Some kind gentlemen pulled me to the side and told the police to leave me alone. The cop let me go once he saw cameras in his face.
Although this march will not change everything in a day, it’s a start. Supporters of Florida’s controversial ”Stand Your Ground” law are asking for Zimmerman to get his license revoked, some say get rid of the law altogether. The Grand Jury is looking into the case next month. Also the Sanford city commissioners voted 3-2 on Wednesday that they have no confidence in police Chief Bill Lee after refusal of arresting a cop’s son of beating a homeless black man.
The kids of America will be heard, loud and clear….and George Zimmerman will have to live with that voice which will remind him that innocent blood will be on his hands for the rest of his natural life.
