Remembering Trayvon Martin

     While millions of people purchased candy and prepped costumes for Halloween, Winston-Salem State students donned black hoodies and held Skittles to commemorate the life of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

     Martin, a 17-year-old African-American male high school student, was shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012.

     The teen, who was visiting his father in Sanford, Fla., was walking back from a convenience store when he was pursued by Zimmerman, who reported to 911 operators that "a suspicious person" was in the neighborhood.

     After ignoring instructions from operators to not follow Martin, 28-year-old Zimmerman of the Twin Lakes gated community shot Martin, in what he later described as "self-defense."

     Zimmerman was neither charged nor arrested until six weeks after the murder of Martin.

     In July 2013, less than three weeks after the trial began, Zimmerman was found not guilty for second-degree murder and manslaughter.

     Nearly 100 WSSU students, faculty and staff gathered at the Clock Tower for the "Martin Had a Dream" demonstration.

     Sophomores Cari Webb, computer science major from Richmond, Va. and Charity Timberlake, secondary English education major from Stem, N.C., organized the event this past summer after the trial for Martin's murder concluded.

     "I was very upset and I took a lot of things personal because I am a Black person," Timberlake said.

     "I definitely cried that night. It was the worst feeling."

     Webb said that the media's portrayal of Martin disappointed her. She said news outlets displayed Martin's Twitter and social media pictures to vilify his character.

     "It hurt my heart because that could have been my boyfriend. He is Trayvon, not only because he's Black, but how he acts," she said.

     Webb said, "A part of me was saying 'He's going to go free' because we're in America, but another part of me was believing in Martin Luther King's dream."

     Timberlake said the idea for "Martin Had a Dream" began during the summer as she thought about Halloween.

     After telling Webb about her idea, Timberlake said they both began reaching out to people on and off campus including SGA President Bryant Bell, Mr. Sophomore Rodie Lamb and Mr. HBCU and former Mr. NC A&T, Reginald Johnson.

     Webb also said that Spelman College organized a similar demonstration.

     "On our campus, we really want people to understand that we are just Black in America. We're not equal," Webb said.

     Timberlake said that while the event pays homage to the life of the slain teenager, the event shines light on a bigger issue - racial profiling.

     On Nov. 7, a 19-year-old female from Detroit, Mich., Renisha McBride was fatally shot after she attempted to find help after a car accident. With most gun violence incidents involving young black men, this recent shooting has many on edge about the safety of the Black community.

     In an ABC.com news article, W.J. Rideout, a Detroit pastor said, "This is a senseless murder. We will not tolerate another Trayvon Martin, another Jonathan Ferrell."

     Ferrell, a 24-year-old male, was gunned down in Charlotte nearly two months before McBride in a similar incident.

     The former Florida A&M football player was a chemistry major with a 3.7 GPA. He tried to find assistance after he crashed his car. He went to a house and knocked on the door. When he saw a police car, he went tried to approach the car: He was shot 10 times by the police officer.

     "It's not focused mainly on that single case; it's that mentality of why Trayvon Martin was killed in the first place and why George Zimmerman got off free," Timberlake said.

     Webb and Timberlake are students of Larry Little, associate professor of social sciences and member of the Black Panther Party in Winston-Salem. During the noon demonstration, Little juxtaposed Martin's murder to that of Emmitt Till, killed and mutilated in 1955 by four white men because he spoke to a white woman.

     Little said the Zimmerman's sentence and the demographic background of the jury was no coincidence.

     "He [Zimmerman] may have killed Trayvon, but he has not killed the spirit of Trayvon," Little said.

     Nicole Little, a 2013 graduate of Wake Forest University and native of Winston-Salem, attended the evening portion of the event. Nicole Little, who lost her brother to gun violence, said she was inspired by the night's performances.

     She said our generation needs to be cognizant of the stories and tragedies of young African Americans such as Martin, Ferrell and McBride.

     "We are missing the point. Understand that you [our generation] have the power to set the agenda. It is not the government that moves us. It is not the presidents of anybody's university that moves us. It is us, because we are the people. "