The College Fix

Annual Trayvon Martin ‘rally for justice’ condemns black incarceration rates, law enforcement on third anniversary of teen’s death

TUCSON, Ariz. – Holding posters picturing Trayvon Martin in his iconic white hoodie and signs declaring “black male teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by a white cop than white teens” – the University of Arizona’s Black Student Union held its third annual “Hear Us, See Us” rally on campus Thursday.

Roughly two dozen students attended the late afternoon rally, held in the campus quad on the third anniversary of the day Martin died. At the demonstration, a number of speakers took the mic and bemoaned racial profiling and stereotyping and other “oppression,” which they said still plague their community and America.

Speakers at the rally encouraged attendees to be empowered by the oppression, and rise above. Declared one: “You know what? I’m going to get the best grade in this class. Why? Because I am a black person.”

Another sign at the “rally for justice” stated “In 2010, black women were incarcerated at nearly three times the rate of white men – this is systemic racism.”

According to the university’s website, the rally “honors and remembers Trayvon Martin as well as other fallen community members.”

“These issues, they continue to persist in our national society,” said student protester and BSU member Kevyn Butler in an interview with The College Fix. “We’re here to find ways in which we can create a counter-narrative.”

“We decided we wanted to show Tucson’s recognition—more specifically the University of Arizona—how we support Trayvon Martin and his family,” he added.

When asked what specific oppression he witnessed in Tucson, Butler admitted to being unfamiliar with Tucson’s demographics and news, but suggested it was mostly aimed toward “brown folk.”

The main concern, it seems, was ending the stigma of “suspicious persons.”

“What forms made [Martin] suspicious? That he had a hoodie on or that he was walking around in a certain neighborhood at a certain time and it looked like he didn’t live there,” he said.

The rally also came just two days after the Justice Department announced that it was closing its investigation into the killing of Martin by George Zimmerman, who shot the 17-year-old after a confrontation in 2012.

The agency said Tuesday it found insufficient evidence to show Zimmerman willfully deprived Martin of his civil rights or killed him because of his race, CBS News reports. As a result, Zimmerman will not be charged with a hate crime.

College Fix reporter Kasey Marie Shores is a student at the University of Arizona.

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IMAGE: Kasey Marie Shores – For The College Fix