After the Verdict in the Trayvon Martin Case
Detroit: Outrage Expressed in Protest and Culture
July 14, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Sunday evening, July 14: In the wee hours of the morning, after the verdict, a young socialist posted an event page on Facebook for a rally this evening, Sunday, 7/14. By 4 am, hundreds had committed to come to the rally. Youth who came from neighboring Ann Arbor and other people, looking for something to do, found the event page and tweeted their friends to come. This was definitely a social networking event.
About 300 people came, a very diverse crowd, "multi-colored," as one speaker described, mostly young and some older activists, bringing homemade signs: “Stop Criminalizing Black Youth;” “Black Life Is Valuable;” Trayvon Was Stalked;” “Aiyana Was Sleeping;” “Justice for Trayvon”—signs brought by a young group of Black kids. Also, "The Whole System's Guilty, Justice for Trayvon." (As you probably know, Aiyana Stanley-Jones was a 7-year-old Black 'sleeping princess' who was murdered in a reality-show taped police raid. Her killer got off with a hung jury recently and will be re-prosecuted later this month.)
The feelings of trauma and anger, the sense that this is "very, very scary" carried over from Facebook to the crowd. Ron Scott from the Coalition Against Police Brutality said the youth there had the heart, stamina and determination to protect future Trayvons and Aiyanas. Martilla Jones, Aiyana's grandmother, spoke with tremendous support from the crowd. Sadly, but with a grasp on reality, she conveyed to us that she does not expect justice from the system for her granddaughter; but she is standing strong for all the Trayvons and Aiyanas “who are to come.” Others spoke for the NAACP, Occupy, individually, and other organizations. Some speakers evoked Public Enemy and the image of Black youth with a target painted on their backs.
The rally ended with a spirited march through downtown with honking cars and busses in support and ended with a heart-felt rapper sending good vibes of Trayvon going to heaven and ending with a determined call for all of us to fight for justice. They are making a video, I think, for Trayvon, to be released soon.
Two of us connected people to Revolution newspaper, a leaflet of Carl Dix' statement after the verdict, and palm cards for REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! and Indiegogo fundraising campaign for BA Everywhere.
Tomorrow a group of artists are calling on everyone to drop by their studio and add Skittles to a 4' x 7' portrait of Trayvon made solely from the Skittles. They are hoping to see 100 sets of hands or more helping in solidarity and remembrance! During the week, they plan to paint a giant mural of the Skittles sculpture on the East Side of Detroit.
We know that churches and others are planning more events in the future, but it is fitting that the youth jump started things today!
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