Tallahassee, FL – 350 people took to the streets July 13 here for an “Emergency Midnight March” for Trayvon Martin. The tear-marked faces of every person flickered red and blue in the midst of a full police escort. The march was organized and headed by a Black and Brown-led student group called the Dream Defenders, who guided a community outraged over the Zimmerman verdict to the steps of the historic Florida Capitol, where the group held a rally.

Emotions ran high as person after person stood before the group and found an outlet to express their hurt, rage and discontent with a white chauvinist judicial system, which produces a new Trayvon-type verdict every day.

“This march is important, this is our wake-up call,” said Regina Joseph, vice president of Dream Defenders at Florida State University (FSU). “In under an hour we organized a march of over 300 people. I was saddened to be there under the circumstances of injustice and institutional oppression,” she continued, “but was at the same time inspired by the love of so many people. Our spirits are not dead, but lifted by the idea of building our power and getting closer to attaining true justice for Trayvon.”

Brian Marshall, president of Dream Defenders at FSU told Fight Back!, “Just being out here with so many people joined for the same cause is inspiring. I love seeing the community coming together to show support for Trayvon. It is pretty evident now that change will not come from the courts, but rather from the streets.”

The rally ended with song and a moment of silence where over 300 people of color stood in remembrance of not just Trayvon Martin, but everything he represents to the community: a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a son. For many they saw themselves reflected within the blatant disregard for the life of a young Black man in the U.S.

#TallahasseeFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem