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Activist Tucker: Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, now Trayvon.
Mothers and fathers worried about their sons. A black state representative spoke of learning to carry himself so that he will appear non-threatening. And others warned of the threat of “Stand Your Ground” laws that can protect people who shoot young black men.
Those were some of the voices among the more than 100 people who gathered Monday outside City Hall to speak out about a racially-charged court verdict 1,000 miles away in Florida.
The Florida verdict was a six-person’s determination that George Zimmerman was not guilty of murder or manslaughter for shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford, Fla.
Monday’s rally was a testament to the state of race relations in Connecticut, a state where, even with some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, the worry persists that young black men could be shot with impunity.
Zimmerman, a white Hispanic man, claimed he shot Martin, a black teenager, in self-defense. Zimmerman had called police when he spotted Martin inside the gated community where Zimmerman lived, then followed Martin and gotten into a confrontation with him.
The case became a flashpoint in race relations, seen as a deadly incident of racial profiling in which a white man was given the benefit of the doubt. Zimmerman was not initially charged with any crime. In April of 2012, he was charged with second-degree murder.
The not-guilty verdict, which came down on Saturday night, was met with widespread outrage in many places nationwide — including New Haven.
Dozens gathered at 6 p.m. Monday outside City Hall, where a microphone connected to a car stereo amplified the voices of a series of speakers, including three mayoral candidates. Activist Barbara Fair (pictured) acted as MC for the event.
“I have seven sons,” she said. “My sons are Trayvon Martin.”
If people don’t pay attention, Connecticut could end up with the same “Stand Your Ground” gun law as exists in Florida, she warned. That law says that those who believe they are in danger and don’t retreat, but rather shoot the person they believe is a danger to them, are protected from prosecution in certain cases. Like Zimmerman’s.
Norman Clement (pictured) of the Act Now To Stop War and End Racism Coalition (ANSWER), decried an “injustice system” that allowed “the assassin George Zimmerman” to walk free, and warned of a dangerous precedent. “This trial gave vigilantes license to go out and hunt young black men.”
New Haven state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield (pictured) asked for support for his work on a bill to prevent racial profiling in Connecticut. He said he’s spent his life acutely aware of how, as a black man, needs to hold himself in order to not be perceived as threatening. Even as a mayoral candidate (he recently dropped out of the race), he would remind himself not to lean forward during debates, he said.
East Rock Alderman Justin Elicker (pictured), a candidate for mayor, said that racism is based in hatred and inequality. People need to address “the roots of poverty in this city,” he said.
Henry Fernandez (pictured), also a candidate for mayor, read from words he said he wrote Sunday night in response to the verdict. “As the father of a young boy and as an American, I have felt deep pain at the death of Trayvon Martin,” he said. He said he can’t imagine the “overwhelming agony” Martin’s parents must feel.
He said change can feel impossible in situations like this, but history has shown that change often begins with setbacks.
Fernandez placed the “Stand Your Ground” law at the center of the tragedy. He called its passage a result of lobbying and organizing by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a non-profit organization that promotes conservative legislation in legislatures throughout the country. ALEC has worked on laws promoting gun rights, loosening environmental regulations, and building new prisons.
“It’s worth knowing who the enemy is,” Fernandez said. He said he is holding his son and his family closer in the wake of the verdict. (Click here to read Fernandez’s full statement.)
“As the mother of a black man, I fear we in Connecticut still have racial profiling,” said state Sen. Toni Harp (pictured), another mayoral candidate. She said people need to make sure Connecticut doesn’t pass a law like Florida’s “Stand Your Ground.” “I will make sure that it doesn’t happen.”
Hillhouse Principal Kermit Carolina, a fourth mayoral candidate, spoke later at the rally.
Shelton Tucker, who wore a shirt that read “I am Trayvon,” said he greeted the verdict with disbelief. He said each time a black man is killed by cops or security personnel, he thinks someone will be punished for it. And each time, nothing happens. He mentioned Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo.
Bill General (pictured) brought up another flashpoint case: Rodney King. He said that 22 years after the police who beat King were found not guilty, “Nothing has changed.”