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“Trayvon Martin could
have been me 35 years ing a closely watched trial in July 2013,
ago.” 4 he was acquitted of the charge. Presi-
dent Barack Obama weighed in on the
— Barack Obama, forty-fourth
president of the United States verdict: “When Trayvon Martin was fi rst
shot, I said that this could have been my
son. Another way of saying that is Tray-
von Martin could have been me 35 years ago. . . . I think it’s
important to recognize that the African American community is
looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history
that doesn’t go away.” 4
When California community activist Alicia Garza learned
of Zimmerman’s acquittal, she said she felt like she had been
punched in the gut. She woke up thinking about it and crying in
the middle of the night. Garza channeled her pain into what she
A protester confronts Missouri
State Highway Patrol troopers who
have been stationed in front of
the Ferguson police station during
August 2014 protests over the
police shooting of Michael Brown.
