Harper’s Bazaar – On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was assassinated. I use the word assassinated because his murder was absolutely political—especially for Black America. Like Trayvon, I was 17 years old at the time. Up until that point, I believed in a post-racial America. I had come of age without the influence of social media and lived in a predominantly Black and Brown community where everyone was on similar socioeconomic footing, which insulated me from structural injustices. I was so insulated that even after Trayvon’s death, I believed vehemently that justice would be served. Summer 2013 would be the moment I knew this country wasn’t capable of justice—and that a radical shift was needed.
That summer, after more than a year of advocacy, the non-acquittal came in. I felt so debilitated by the crushing weight of disappointment and betrayal (something I would, unfortunately, become familiar with). I was a first-year student in college being told that the world was my oyster, but that didn’t ring true for my community. It was bigger than Trayvon at that point…
World on The Run | Jo Lee Magazine 