Today while I was on Twitter, I stumbled across a heart-wrenching tweet from Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Today would’ve been Trayvon’s 19th birthday, and to commemorate, she tweeted a moving image of her son’s unforgettable face blending in with the American flag, with the words “Happy 19th Birthday Trayvon” written on the bottom of the photo. The Trayvon Martin case is one that enraged the nation, and opened the eyes of millions around the world who had turned a blind eye to issues such as racism and racial profiling. The case continues to resonate as thousands of supporters sent Fulton an outpouring of love via tweets and Instagram posts today. Students at the University of South Carolina honored Trayvon’s memory with a march against racial profiling.
It is important for us to remember that we are all human beings first and foremost. Although we may look different on the outside, our insides are more alike then we may think. In order to create some kind of change in the world we must first change ourselves. Happy Birthday Trayvon Martin. You are gone but will never ever be forgotten.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
(Photograph courtesy of Ebony Magazine)
