Trayvon Martin

Outcome

unknown

In February 2012, Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old Black teenager, was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida, while walking back to his father’s home from a nearby convenience store. Martin was unarmed. He was followed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, who called police to report Martin as suspicious before pursuing him despite being advised not to do so. Zimmerman shot Martin during a confrontation and later claimed self defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. In 2013, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges, a verdict that drew national attention and widespread public outrage. The case raised urgent questions about racial profiling, vigilantism, and legal frameworks that allow the use of deadly force. Trayvon Martin’s killing marked a pivotal moment in contemporary protest history. The public response, including the widespread adoption of the hoodie as a symbol of protest, helped spark a new generation of activism. The phrase “Black Lives Matter” gained national prominence following the acquittal, shaping a movement framework that would come to define mass protest against racialized violence in the years that followed.