MIAMI – The mission of 100 Black Men is centered around mentoring and helping to develop youth, in particular African American young men. We recognize and witness daily the promise each young person represents. Therefore, we are outraged by the senseless murder of Trayvon Martin, the subsequent inaction, and the ongoing injustice. Once again, a young man from our community has been killed and there has been no action taken by authorities. Far too many questions remain unanswered. Why is so little value placed on the lives of our children?
Why was Trayvon apparently profiled, targeted, terrorized, and murdered? Why is yet another African American teen dead for simply being black? Since when did walking down a neighborhood street carrying a cell phone, tea and candy become cause for a killing? Why is the community where this vigilante style murder occurred not demanding justice? Why hasn’t Trayvon’s killer been arrested and taken off the streets? Why hasn’t this murderer’s gun been confiscated? Why is the murder of black youth treated so differently than when the same crime occurs in other communities? These questions must not go unanswered and the injustice must stop.
“The 100 Black Men of America, Inc. is standing as a united body to support the family of Trayvon Martin. We know that Trayvon’s life mattered. His hopes, dreams, future potential, and the positive impact he would have continued to make in the world were stolen,” stated Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Chairman of 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
The 100 Black Men are asking you to click the link below and join us in signing the online petition calling on Norman Wolfinger, Florida’s 18th District State’s Attorney, to investigate Trayvon’s murder and prosecute George Zimmerman for the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin. http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the-killer-of-our-son-17-year-old-trayvon-martin. We will stand as a collective body in support of his family and to honor him and the countless young lives that have also been cut short. We will work to shed light on this case until justice for Trayvon Martin is served.
But we know that more can and must be done to advocate for justice in our communities. We know that this is not an isolated incident. As Black men, we know that too many of our children die like this everyday. So while each of you ensures that your networks are engaged to demand justice for Trayvon Martin, each of you must demand within your community that any similar incidents be investigated and that justice is served in those cases too.
