Trayvon Martin Plaques Presented

On Friday May 25, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen who was shot and killed during an encounter with neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman on February 26, were presented with twin plaques at a Stop the Violence rally in East Saint Louis, Illinois. Martin, who is from East St. Louis and Fulton were in town to support the campaign against youth violence. The two were presented with the plaques at the North End Missionary Baptist Church by friends from the neighborhood where Martin grew-up.

The plaques read-Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, as your friends we also mourn the loss of your son, Trayvon. In your time of need, we are an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. We stand with you, we support your fight for justice and we pray that God will continue to be your strength. 

Photo By: Linda Gardner
Story By:Raymond House

The Twists and Turns of This Life : Tracy Martin

Growing up in East St. Louis Trayvon Martin’s father, Tracy Martin lived in our neighborhood.  Along with the other kids on our block , we played basketball right across the street from my house. On 21^st Street and Caseyville Avenue, as children, we were carefree. Back then, none of us ever would have imagined in our wildest nightmare what would happen  more than thirty years later.  We could not have forseen that Tracy would have a son who would be murdered, that it would spark nationwide protests and that it would even be commented on by the President of the United States (who would be Black).  If anyone would have told us then that this would happen, we would not have believed it. 

When I called Tracy to express my condolences over his son's death, it was surreal. In this world we never know what’s going to happen to us, or to the people we know. The twists and turns of this life can never be predicted.  We must believe and trust that God will navigate us through them, even in our darkest hour.