Skip to main content

Father of Trayvon Martin Testifies on Capitol Hill

Tracy Martin, the father of young, murder victim, Trayvon Martin testified on Capitol Hill pledging to not give up on getting justice for his son.

"I think, to a man, the greatest gift from a woman is son. And to have that son taken away from you when you've molded him into becoming an upstanding citizen of this country, it's heart wrenching and something that you can never get over."

Mr. Martin said his son was his hero.



Mr. Martin spoke on Capitol Hill as part of a forum titled "The Status of Black Males: Ensuring Our Boys Mature Into Strong Men", created by the Congressional Black Caucus. The forum was lead by Sen. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and included Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), author and professor Micheal Eric Dyson, and former NAACP president Kwiesi Mfume.

Said Ms. Norton, “The issues are spread across the spectrum of the life of Black males in America today – clothed in stereotypes from their years as boys, as youths, and as men.  We seek a society that does not define Black men and boys, but allows African American males the opportunity to define themselves as individuals. Today, Trayvon helps the Caucus bring Black men and boys to center stage.”

The CBC is a bi-partisan congressional organization. Their motto is "We envision a world in which the Black community is free of all disparities and able to contribute fully to advancing the common good."

Watch today's forum in its entirety discussion here.


Related
Jesse Jackson calls for release of Marissa Alexander, victim of Florida's stand your ground law.

Said Jackson, "This is such a classic expression of how subjective the Stand Your Ground laws are. One guy murders a man in cold blood and he’s walking free; [a] woman shoots to defend herself from an aggressive husband […] and she’s serving 20 years in jail.”




More
Black Male Accomplishment:  Young Twins Are Valedictorians

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In wake of the Zika virus, travel, spring break still O.K.

Representatives from the CDC and the NIH were on hand at the White House during Monday's press briefing to update the public and address concerns over the Zika virus that has caused some babies to be born with deformities. Dr. Anne Schuchat from the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Tony Fauci from the National Institutes of Health told reporters that a vaccine is in the making.   The pair also said they are particulary concerned about women who are pregnant, or plan to get pregnant, who have either traveled to or plan to travel to areas of South America and the Carribean known to have the Zika virus. Despite those bold statements, the doctors said there is no wide-spread concern and that Americans should continue to travel, including during upcoming college spring breaks --  when college students travel to warmer climate destinations to escape winter weather. "Travel to Zika-affected areas is very common among Americans, and we don’t think that needs to stop...

ACA Health Care Operator Fired For Doing Her Job?

More woes for the Obama administration's roll out of HealthCare.gov .    During the president's weekly address he urged Americans to call a toll-free number to get help enrolling in a health care plan as the website continues to be 'improved'. Said the president, "But even as we improve the website, remember that the website isn’t the only way to apply for coverage under these new plans.  We’ve updated HealthCare.gov to offer more information about enrolling over the phone, by mail, or in person with a specially-trained navigator who can help answer your questions.  Just call 1-800-318-2596 or visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov .       No sooner than the president gives out the 800 number for Americans to speak to one of the 'specially-trained navigators', one of them  gets fired, perhaps loosing her own healthcare benefits. Her malfeasance?  Talking to talk show host Sean Hannity. Hannity called the 800 number with his...

Saying goodbye to Mrs. Robinson, mother of First Lady Michelle Obama.

The woman who made her mark as grandma-in-chief when President Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States, passed Friday. The woman who was considered the backbone of the Obama household will be remembered as a family-oriented, kind person, who remained poised as she assumed the responsibility of helping raise her two beautiful granddaughters in an environment, and in a world, far from what she ever imagined. Mrs. Marian Robinson, mother of First Lady Michelle Obama,  waves to reporters during Easter egg hunt at the White House. (photo CD Brown) I recall seeing her that day in March during Women's History Month at the Smithsonian when her daughter's Inaugural gown, like all the other first lady inaugural gowns,  was being cemented in Smithsonian history . She was smiling as she walked alone prompting me to ask, "is there no security, no secret service, for the first grandmother?" ADVERTISEMENT CMB BUSINESS SOLUTIONS   I am also reminded of the time w...