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On the fifth anniversary of Trayvon Martins death, the man who took his life joined WeSearchr for an interview in which hediscussed which news organizations truthfully covered the shooting.

George Zimmerman, who killed 17-year-old Martin and was ultimately found not guilty on second-degree murder charges, told WeSearchr host Peter Duke, Fox News was the only one that reported carefully. Zimmerman added, Iwould say Sean Hannity himself was the only person that reported the truth at the time, which was that everyone knew nothing until the trial. And I thank him for that.

Duke later asked Zimmerman how his political outlook has changed in the last five years. Well, I trust that Mr. Trump will do the right thing, he said, adding that his political convictions havent changed over time and that Trump is the right man for the job to make sure that America is great again.

Zimmerman was also asked how he would solve the so-called black crime epidemic if he were president.

You can watch the video of Zimmermans remarks below.

This conversation took place on the fifth anniversary of Martins shooting death, on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Many took time on Sunday to honor Trayvon Martin in continued calls for justice for black lives. Director Ava Duvernay tweeted a photo with a grey sweatshirt with TRAYVON written on it, with the caption, Taking a moment to remember #TrayvonMartin. Our hoodies are still up and the movement is still strong.

On my way to #Oscars. Taking a moment to remember #TrayvonMartin. Our hoodies are still up and the movement is still strong. #OurSonTrayvon pic.twitter.com/PdxuXMktOg

Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 26, 2017

5 yrs ago 2day #TrayvonMartin was killed. 5 yrs later our hoodies r still up bc the movement is still strong @WeAreLiberated #OurSonTrayvon pic.twitter.com/qurb3iPufH

Tracee Ellis Ross (@TraceeEllisRoss) February 26, 2017

5 years ago, the system of white supremacy allowed the racial lynching of an innocent child #TrayvonMartin pic.twitter.com/89nxEKVd2Z

Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 26, 2017

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George Zimmerman praises Trump and Fox News on 5-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death - Raw Story

Miami Herald

A teen was shot by a watchman 5 years ago. And the Trayvon Martin case became a cause Miami Herald Five years ago this week, a Miami-Dade teen was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain outside a Central Florida apartment complex. The events that night, involving 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and 28-year-old George Zimmerman. Here are ... and more »

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A teen was shot by a watchman 5 years ago. And the Trayvon Martin case became a cause - Miami Herald

Students stroll around the campus of Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta. Chris Shinn/Courtesy of Spelman College hide caption

Students stroll around the campus of Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta.

Tales of talented black students on majority-white campuses running through a racial gauntlet that has them questioning their brilliance, abilities and place are familiar to parents like me who have a college-bound child at home.

The trauma that sometimes comes with being a black student at predominately white institutions is tangible. In their 2015 paper, "Reimagining Critical Race Theory in Education: Mental Health, Healing and the Pathway to Liberatory Praxis," Ebony McGee, a professor at Vanderbilt University, and David Stovall, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, found that black college students who weather the effects of studying and living on predominately white campuses suffer from a "physical and mental wear-and-tear that contributes to a host of psychological and physical ailments."

"We have documented alarming occurrences of anxiety, stress, depression and thoughts of suicide, as well as a host of physical ailments like hair loss, diabetes and heart disease," McGee said in an article on Vanderbilt's website, adding that calls for black students to draw on mental toughness and perseverance what researchers are referring to these days as "grit" overlook the additional burden black students bear as they face off against overt and covert racism.

"We have witnessed black students work themselves to the point of extreme illness in attempting to escape the constant threat of perceived intellectual inferiority," McGee said. "We argue that the current enthusiasm for teaching African American students with psychological traits like grit ignores the significant injustice of societal racism and the toll it takes, even on those students who appear to be the toughest and most successful."

At a historically black college or university (HBCU), students with diverse economic, social and geographic backgrounds share similar cultural and emotional frames of reference that can take the edge off the rigors of college life.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that over the past three years, nearly a third of HBCUs have seen at least a 20 percent increase in applications a spike that correlates with nationwide protests over high profile incidents like George Zimmerman's acquittal in Trayvon Martin's shooting death and Sandra Bland's jail death after a controversial police traffic stop.

Those protests spilled onto college campuses after students at the University of Missouri, citing volatile racial aggression against students of color, demanded and got the November 2015 resignation of the school's president and chancellor, who protesters said failed to address racial problems on campus. Success by Mizzou's students sparked sit-ins, rallies and protests at more than 100 colleges and universities, reverberating all the way through to earlier this month, when Yale University announced that, after campus-wide unrest, it would rename a residential college originally named after an alumnus who was a fierce slavery advocate.

And black parents are lockstep with their children including famous ones like Taraji P. Henson, who publicly announced she decided against sending her son, Marcell Johnson, to the University of Southern California after he said he was racially profiled on the USC campus. She chose Howard University, an HBCU and her alma mater.

"I'm not paying $50,000 so I can't sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus," Henson said about her decision.

Like her, black parents readily admit to sleeping better at night, too, knowing that their babies are reasonably protected from possible racial violence physically, emotionally, mentally on a campus where they can engage in political, social and creative movements, and still have some modicum of room for joy in an affirming environment amid the political and social upheaval unraveling across the country America.

For black families, the choice of where a child should attend college is every bit as much about self-care as it is about getting a solid education, and HBCUs are building on their reputations for offering both in spades.

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For Black College Prospects, Belonging And Safety Often Top Ivy Prestige - NPR

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) -- *Editor's Note: A previous version of this article wrongly said Geroge Zimmerman used "Stand Your Ground" as a defense in his trial for the killing of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman's attorneys used a self-defense justification that did not include the "Stand Your Ground" provision, though jurors said afterwards it was a factor in their discussions before acquitting Zimmerman.

Anyone in Iowa could use deadly force anywhere if they believe such force is necessary to avoid injury or risk to ones life or safety under a bill including a stand-your-ground provision.

A subcommittee in the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature approved the comprehensive gun measure, House Study Bill 133, on Thursday, and supporters said the law provides much-needed clarity on the right to protect and defend. But opponents worry its giving a license to kill.

Its a good idea for our laws to be strengthened up, said Tom Hudson, manager of CrossRoads Shooting Sports. Right now, there is nothing that specifically speaks that you have the ability to make the discerning judgment your life is in jeopardy, and you can take necessary steps to defend yourself.

Under the proposed bill, Iowans could use deadly force anywhere if they believe its necessary to avoid risking their life.

People could use deadly force even if an alternative course of action is available, and it allows people to be wrong in that estimation of danger.

But opponents like Veronica Fowler, of the Iowa American Civil Liberties Union, said the legislation would open doors for a lot of tragedies.

This bill, were concerned, could embolden people to basically shoot other people in situations where they might not otherwise, she said.

Fowler said since states like Florida adopted stand-your-ground laws, justifiable homicide rates have tripled.

Stand your ground came to prominence in the George Zimmerman killing of of Trayvon Martin.

Hudson argued this doesnt justify disparity of force. The intent would be for people to use the lowest level of force necessary.

They will have the right to defend themselves, Fowler said. If somebody invades your home and there is a shooting that happens, the self-defense law is in place. We feel that covers it.

The bill would also allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, prohibit colleges from banning weapons on campus, allow firearm permits to last a lifetime, prohibit local governments from passing gun restrictions, allow children under age 14 to use guns with supervision and allow guns on the Capitol grounds.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Excerpt from:
Iowa panel OKs gun bill with stand-your-ground provision - KCRG.com - KCRG

Remember Trayvon? He wouldve been 22 by now. He more than likely would have graduated from high school and entered college by this date. If he studied hard, maybe he would have entered an Ivy League school, graduated from Harvard and entered the spaceflight-training program during his downtime between law school classes.

Im sure there are wypipo reading this and commenting how preposterous this sounds; that we are making a superhero out of a regular child. They would say that we have ascribed supernatural powers to a regular-ol 17-year-old and that it is highly unlikely that a child like Trayvon would have become a lawyer or an astronaut.

This criticism can be answered with the simplest logic and the least complex rationale:

How the fuck you know?

Five years ago, while walking home after buying candy and soda, Trayvon Martin was lynched in public by an overzealous, half-crazy, racist neighborhood watchman who was not in the neighborhood watch. He was killed by a grown man who stalked him with a gun andafter being told by a 911 operator to leave Trayvon alonesomehow shot the teen in the chest.

Then he went home and took a nap.

We have all heard that old saying, Time flies when you are living under the rule of a dim-witted dictatorship, but it doesnt seem like Trayvon has been gone for half a decade.

Remember when the outrage wasnt about how George Zimmerman wasnt convicted of murder, but about how long it took for cops to simply arrest him?

Remember how white people found it perfectly plausible that a 17-year-old jumped on a man 20 years older and 50 pounds heavier than he was?

Remember how simple the Zimmerman case seemed? Remember how we thought the prosecution only had to ask two questions:

Remember when people were so upset about how Zimmerman killed a boy and went home, they created the phrase, Black Lives Matter?

Remember how they demonized him for wearing a hoodie? For gold teeth? For being 5 feet 11? For being too imposing? For being too black?

It has been five years since the senseless slaughter of an 11th-grader happened in Sanford, Fla., and the world erupted. We shouldnt forget about the fight for black lives, and we should always recall what happened to that little boy with a pocketful of Skittles, walking home and talking on the phone.

He was 17.

Wherever you are on Feb. 26, whatever the weather, grab a hoodie out of your closet and wear it. Eat some Skittles. Drink some Arizona iced tea. Fight for your life.

Remember Trayvon.

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Remember Trayvon? - The Root