Editorial: ‘Trayvon’s Law’ Legislation To Be Drafted By The Dream Defenders – Page 5

Reverend Jesse Jackson announced his support of the Dream Defenders today, the latest in a string of high-profile affiliations, which includes entertainment and civil rights icon Harry Belafonte. The Dream Defenders are leading a push to repeal Stand Your Ground laws, address racial profiling, and launch a national discussion on issues catalyzed by George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was found not guilty of the second degree and manslaughter charges related to the case and says he shot Martin in self-defense. On this, the fifteenth day of the Dream Defenders’ sit-in at the Florida Capitol building, protestors continue to press state lawmakers to address these issues. Jackson announced plans to stay overnight with the protestors, stating to the Grio that, “The Rainbow Push Coalition is mobilizing elected officials in support of these student movements. Too many people in Florida are disenfranchised.” The Dream Defenders formed as an organization when Zimmerman’s case first began to gain national attention about six weeks after the death of the Florida teen in February 2012. Funding derives from donations, mostly funneled through the Dream Defenders’ website. “We’re not here for the theater. We want action,” Dream Defenders Executive Director Phillip Agnew told theGrio on Monday. While protesting with twenty students and young professionals in the halls of the Florida State Capitol outside Governor Rick Scott’s office, Agnew shared the future of his organization’s movement. Background and update on the Defenders: The Capitol sit-in began two days after a jury of six women, five white and one Puerto Rican, found George Zimmerman innocent on July 13. Although the Dream Defenders said they are currently negotiating with Florida lawmakers about their demands, Scott has not conceded their initial request for a special legislative session to address Stand Your Ground laws. No fewer than 15 protestors stay overnight every day in response to these developments, Agnew said. Overnight protestors sleep on sheets, because the Capitol will not permit sleeping bags or air mattresses to be used. Agnew counted nearly 150 overnight protestors one evening. The group also has thousands of followers on social media. Over the weekend, a Capitol staffer reportedly tried to bring food for protestors (who are cut off from the public outside business hours), but the staffer felt intimidated by authorities and never made it through. This prompted reports that Gov. Scott was attempting to starve the protestors into submission, reports denied by authorities. Yet, when the Capitol reopened to the public on Monday, the activists were able to bring food in. They will restock with enough food for weekend hours to avoid any future confrontations. Drafting “Trayvon’s Law”: Those camped inside the Capitol intend to hold their own week-long session in the hallways of the Senate chambers to draft “Trayvon’s Law,” legislation they feel will help redress the perceived social injustices highlighted by the verdict. Trayvon’s Law has three pillars. First, is the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws in Florida, which sanction the use of deadly force against a possibly deadly threat without the obligation to retreat. Second, is an end to racial profiling by police coupled with preventative training and disciplinary procedures that curtail it. The third pillar would end Florida’s zero-tolerance school policing policy. The Dream Defenders say these school policing standards contribute to what activists call the “school to prison pipeline,” a phenomenon whereby young people of color find themselves more quickly and easily incarcerated than others. According to the Sun Sentinel, Florida leads in more school-based arrests than any other state. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice reported that more than 12,000 Florida students were arrested approximately 14,000 times last year in public schools. Although black students comprise 23 percent of Florida’s school population, they make up 47 percent of arrests. The Dream Defenders’ session will host community experts and testimonies from young people who have been most affected by these issues. Travyon’s Law versus the Trayvon Martin Act: Their efforts do not dovetail with those of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which is calling for legislatures to implement the Trayvon Martin Act. Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, advocated for this act in a speech before the Congressional Black Caucus at a hearing last Wednesday to address the state of black men in America. The act would amend states’ Stand Your Ground laws, making it illegal for people who initiated aggression to act in self-defense. Conversely, Trayvon’s Law advocates for a full repeal of Stand Your Ground, not a revision of the law. “We need an aggressive stance against Stand Your Ground, otherwise we would be dishonest with ourselves,” said Agnew. “If we come out advocating for reform, we get no movement. It results in a bad deal with devastating consequences for our youth.” Columbia University professor Dorian Warren, a Roosevelt Institute fellow who studies inequality in American politics, agrees. “I think the stronger the movement demand, the more successful, especially if it inevitably gets watered down in the political process,” Warren told theGrio. “This is the moment to educate a whole new generation of young activists and mobilize thousands of people while the energy and emotions are high.” Agnew urges immediate action based on the common ground of achieving justice for Trayvon, while respecting other approaches. The Trayvon Martin Foundation is not affiliated with the Dream Defenders, and did not respond to requests for comment about the organization in time for publication. Next steps for the Dream Defenders: After drafting Trayvon’s Law, the Dream Defenders plan to register Florida voters in support of their proposals and present their ideas to committee meetings of the Florida Legislature in September. Agnew and dozens of protestors plan to camp at the Capitol for “as long as it takes” to have their proposals addressed, rotating in shifts to accommodate students’ and young professionals’ work commitments. The Dream Defenders have not planned their exact steps beyond speaking at coming legislature meetings. Yet, celebrities with civil rights leanings such as Jamie Foxx, Chuck D, Nas, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and rock guitarist Tom Morello continue to show outpourings of support. Kweli and Q-Tip have called Agnew to express solidarity, while Nas and Morello have tweeted their encouragement. Agnew is grateful, but remains focused on broader goals. “The celebrities are cool, but this movement has to be bottom-up,” said Agnew. “It’s not about the big names, but the young people affected most by these laws.” Comparisons to the Civil Rights Movement: As the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington approaches, organizers ponder ways the Trayvon Martin-inspired movement can honor the legacy of civil rights leaders. Professor Warren described the parallels between the Dream Defenders and previous civil rights actions. “Without the Freedom Rides, sit-ins, or even Black Power later on, Martin Luther King, Jr. and more mainstream civil rights leaders wouldn’t have had a left flank that made them appear more moderate to the folks in power with whom they were negotiating and bargaining with around national legislative action,” he said, alluding to the value of the Dream Defenders as an agitating force. In an interview with MSNBC host Chris Hayes on his show All In, Belafonte said of Agnew, “in the course of our conversations I got the very strong sense that there was a resolve and a point of view politically that was solidly rooted in the traditions of our non-violence as well as in the traditions of our taking on the challenges of the system.” Agnew felt humbled that the Dream Defenders have been compared to the iconic heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. “I would never compare us to them,” Agnew said. “Those folks have been spit on, had pipes thrown at them, and dogs attack them. We use them as a blueprint, moral compass, and inspiration for everything we do.” Source