Just Like Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin Sparked a Movement | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Just Like Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin Sparked a Movement

History does not repeat, it rhymes.

417
Just Like Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin Sparked a Movement

I wrote this on what would have been Trayvon Martin's 23rd birthday, February 5, 2018. When I think of Trayvon Martin, I think of Emmett Till. My grandfather, who is still alive, was the same age as Emmett and lived a county away in Mississippi from where he was lynched for "whistling at a white woman" who admitted that she lied last year.

He had to live under the same social order and racial constructs. As he told me years ago, "Emmett Till was the Trayvon Martin of my time, he could have been any black boy in America and didn't receive justice." Trayvon Martin was only a month younger than me and just like Till's murderers bragged about the lynching, George Zimmerman eventually did the same when he retweeted a picture of Martin's dead body in 2015 with a caption that bragged about the shooting.

It really demonstrates how things have changed and how they have not and how the construct of criminality has evolved and still haunts every black man in America and the world. And just like Till sparked the civil rights movement, Martin sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. It demonstrates to me how history does not repeat, it rhymes.

Not many Americans know or realize this, but the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech was held on August 28, 1963, the anniversary of Till's lynching. Barack Obama became the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party on August 28, 2008, and the date was not a coincidence.

What we consider to be the most positive turning points in our modern racial history, stemmed from the most negative and I believe that is possible with the Black Lives Matter movement and Trump era as well. Just like the civil rights movement forced the passage of civil rights legislation that dismantled Jim Crow segregation, Black Lives Matter needs to begin shifting its focus and operation, as it already has, to voting in every election and mobilizing around criminal justice and gun reform legislation on a local, state, and national level if the movement is to have a long-lasting impact that will be forever felt.

If we want to honor Trayvon Martin and others like him in the same manner as those who came before us, this is what we must do. Criminal justice reform is the civil rights issue of our time and it is not only the right thing to do, it is also on the right side of history.

From Your Site Articles
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

127524
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

28704
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

26679
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments