NEW YORK – The following is a statement from ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson regarding the announcement this week that the DOJ will investigate the Trayvon Martin case.

“The announcement this week that the US Department of Justice, FBI and Florida state detectives will investigate the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman is an important first step. But the ColorOfChange community will keep pushing until Zimmerman is arrested and charged. We’ll also stay vigilant until the Sanford Police Department’s role in obscuring the facts and mishandling the initial investigation of this case is properly reviewed.

More than 90,000 of our members and hundreds of thousands of Americans of all races across the country have been galvanized by this moment. Martin’s senseless death at Zimmerman’s hands has held up a mirror to the fears that Black men and boys and the people who love them live with constantly. My colleagues and I hear stories every day from mothers who fear for their children’s safety. We also hear from young people who face endless targeting because of the color of their skin.

Law enforcement’s refusal to arrest and prosecute Zimmerman has motivated all of us who could be or are connected to someone who could be Trayvon Martin. Our deepest condolences are with his family. We know that our raised voices won’t bring their child back, but we’re committed to this growing effort to change the culture that allows such a tragedy to happen.”

The ColorOfChange petition can be found here: http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Trayvon

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With more than 800,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest online civil rights organization.