On Monday night, students at Virginia Commonwealth University as well as Richmond locals gathered together to show their respects for the late Trayvon Martin. It was clear that everyone at the tribute felt strongly about Trayvon receiving justice even after death. There were four boxes set up to collect empty skittle bags and empty tea cans. These donations would be sent to the police station in Florida that is “investigating” the death of the teenage boy. The whole country is putting pressure on the justice system as a whole but specifically that police station by sending in skittles and tea cans representing how defenseless Trayvon was when his murderer killed him in “self-defense”.
One of the speakers expressed through a poem how he could not seem to make sense of Zimmerman’s plea for self defense when it is obvious in the 911 recording that Trayvon was running away from Zimmerman. This speaker’s frustration was an expression of how everyone at the tribute felt. There was a mood of anger, hurt, passion, and strength. The crowd was reminded of similar cases that have occurred throughout history. The purposes of bringing up previous cases of injustice acts upon African Americans was meant to anger people and realize that civil rights for blacks still have a long way to go in this country.
Over all, this tribute was a great way for VCU to get involved in an event that will hopefully make history. Each speaker was informative and brought out a passion for justice in everyone that attended. Towards the end of the tribute, an open mic session occurred where individuals could express their personal feelings about Trayvon’s death. People from a wide range of races and religions expressed themselves through song and speech. The goal of Monday night’s tribute was to make people aware of how important Trayvon’s death is to our country and that in order to receive justice, everyone must take some sort of stand for Trayvon. Let us not allow this act of injustice on an innocent African American boy, be forgotten. Individuals all over the country must keep the pressure on the justice system and keep Trayvon’s tragic death relevant in the media until justice is served.