Innocent Blood

“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” These were the words that a sincere and sympathetic President Obama uttered when he weighed in on 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s death (2/26/12), almost one month after he was murdered by neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, of The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, FL. These words sent an alarming amount of Americans into a tailspin. Many who began as compassionate supporters of Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, suddenly flipped when the first Black president of the United States of America related to a boy of his own heritage; a boy he could have been and in some sense was, due to the indelible stain of slavery and systemic racism that is ever-present in our country.

As people, we thrive through our connections and relationships with other human beings. We feel safe when we are able to commune with our neighbor without judgment. We feel free when we are fortunate enough to have a sense of belonging. This is why we share our experiences with one another and relate-because relating means that while we appear so different, our life experiences just may understood by another living, breathing, human being-and that hits home. Like President Obama, Trayvon’s life and death hit home for me because I am the mother of a 14-year old African-American boy. Like Trayvon Benjamin Martin, he is an honors student. Like Trayvon, his favorite subject is math. Like Trayvon, he is interested in engineering. Like Trayvon, he too, will be judged by the color of his skin by some, instead of the content of his heart.

Jahvaris Fulton, Trayvon’s brother, described him as a happy kid, non-confrontational, and as a boy with college aspirations. Tray had a passion for aviation and wanted to become a pilot. Family was very important to him, as he had their names tatted on his young, athletic frame. Like many of his peers across the country (and around the world), Trayvon was discovering and enjoying what it meant to be a young man and a teenager. He went to stay with his father at The Retreat at Twin Lakes during a suspension from school, after marijuana residue was found in his bookbag. Never could he have imagined that a walk to 7-11 for Skittles and iced tea would be the last stop before his death.

On the evening of February 26, 2012, neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, spotted Trayvon walking through his gated community and called the police to report “a suspicious guy.” Zimmerman was a 28-year-old part-time student at Seminole State College, who wanted to become a police officer. From August 2011 to February 2012, Zimmerman had called the police several times to report “suspicious” people-all of whom were Black males (https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/trayvon-martin). When Trayvon began walking home, he noticed he was being followed, as he was talking to his girlfriend on the phone. And then, he began to run. Against the dispatcher’s instructions, Zimmerman chose to leave his vehicle and pursue Trayvon. The confrontation that ensued ended with Zimmerman shooting Trayvon in the chest.

From the beginning, Sanford Police Department was grossly biased in their dealings with George Zimmerman. After being taken into custody, Zimmerman was released, with no charges filed against him. Two weeks after Trayvon’s murder, Sanford police chief, Bill Lee, stated that Zimmerman was not charged because there was no evidence to disprove him. Zimmerman was free to continue living his life, while Trayvon was no longer here to tell his version of the events that took place. When a police officer arrived on the scene after Zimmerman killed Trayvon, Zimmerman was found (on the ground) with injuries on his face and head. The medical report indicated a fractured nose, two black eyes and two lacerations on the back of his head. It was clear that Trayvon fought with everything in him to stay alive. Detective Chris Serino had stated that “neither a deadly weapon nor deadly force were deployed by Trayvon Martin” during the altercation (https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/index.html).

Zimmerman was arrested more than six weeks after the murder. His supporters were paying for his exoneration before his trial even took place, by making online donations to support his defense and living expenses. He was never the offender, but immediately the victim, being catered to at every turn-from walking freely within Sanford’s police department during questioning and having his request for a new judge granted to ensure a “fair trial.” During an interview with Sean Hannity, Zimmerman actually stated that given the events, he wouldn’t have done anything differently. It was a blatant admission of his crime, with no remorse. Zimmerman was very familiar with self-defense law, as he had learned about it in depth, in his course at Seminole State College. This is why he felt comfortable with not going to a “Stand your Ground” pretrial immunity hearing which would have boded terribly for his trial, if his actions were found to not be in compliance with the law. It made it much easier for his attorneys to proceed in their self-defense trial.

Once again, a black boy was painted with the broad brush of being the offender; a 17-year-old child, overpowering a 28-year-old armed man. Why, with all of George’s bruises, he must have been in fear of his life, the all-female jury concluded in their acquittal of the charges against Zimmerman. In addition, the U.S. Justice department decided that no federal civil rights charges would be brought against Zimmerman. He was found NOT GUILTY, although he had shed innocent blood; blood he pursued with reckless abandon, and without just cause. What Zimmerman saw was the opportunity to usurp power because of the authority he so desperately craved. It was no different than when the chief priests and elders pursued Jesus Christ because of the threat he represented to their establishment-their gated community which they wanted to protect at all costs. They went after Jesus’ innocent blood because His very existence was the upset to their protocol-the kingdom they worked so hard to establish on earth. In his candid remarks concerning Trayvon’s death, President Obama called for the nation to do some “soul-searching” in the wake of the tragedy. It was reminiscent of when the multitude called for Jesus’ crucifixion and Governor Pilate asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” (Matt 27:23). Pilate washed his hands of the matter and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you see to it” (v.24). The people responded, “His blood be on us, and on our children” (v.25). America is the multitude that cried out for Trayvon Martin's crucifixion through the demonization of his character. His innocent blood cries out from the ground and it is all over America’s dirty hands.