Trayvon Martin Case Summary

In 2012 George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year old Trayvon Martin in their gated community as Martin was walking home from a corner store. There have been many different stories and claims made about the case however, a 17-year old boy was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. The way people portrayed this tragedy in order to reverse blame triggered an uprising allowed people to witness the pain of being a victim during and after the crime.

In the article from ABC news we witness how Trayvon Martin’s death triggered an uprising particularly from the Black community on how the death of Trayvon Martin and the advocating of justice for his death also hit an all-time high. Due to this fact the article also portrayed his family as leaders of this movement that not only encouraged justice for their son but also the protection of the community. The article showed both of Martin’s parents speak for a brief time and in that your heart went out to them despite the speculations of Martin’s death. Due to the high publicity of the case the claims makers of the case

included the media, witnesses, and advocates promoting the importance of the case. These claims makers took the case into different directions; the media spoke openly about the case mainly focusing on the negative aspects in order to paint it in a more interesting light. Witnesses contributed to the different claims by speaking out about George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin, making it much more difficult to see the facts surrounding the story. Lastly advocates promoting the importance of the case. The protesters added to the fuel making the case broaden into deeper aspects that would eventually help lead to more campaigns. These three claims makers moved the case along and interacted with each greatly in order for this case to reach the heights it broaden to.
Further into the article the story surrounding Trayvon shifted with the help of the media and other witnesses due to the fact that they began to slander Martin’s name. In what seemed to be an attempt by the media and other witnesses stories about Trayvon’s suspension from school due to possession of majuarnia and other ideas about him being a troubled teen surfaced. However, on the opposite side Zimmerman as the offender was painted in a moral light, as the neighborhood watchman he was merely trying to protect his are and should not be faulted. The problem with this aspect is that Martin was still murdered however, it would seem that the media tried to justify his death because he had problems. Relating this aspect back to class and module 1 on how there are many different sides to victims and offenders it appears that race would also factor in as well. If by someone reason the victim had some problems does that justify what happened to him? The different categories on what classify a victim a victim in which we talked about in class has been proven to be skewed through this article. Although the article was very detailed with a video and quotes it could have used more of what potentially happened that night between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.
Reading the article and the uproar surrounding the case it is clear that the social construction is centered on race.

The main theme of this story was the fact that an armed man in a gated community decided to follow and eventually kill a 17-year old black male because he was wearing a hoodie. This case has sparked a fire within the community that has led to many different racially motivated riots and uprising. Due to this fact the case is without a doubt based on race due to the fact that it is a socially constructed idea. This case brought light to many racially motivated killings and inequalities still present in American society. The Trayvon Martin case started a chain reaction in future cases that has happened throughout recent events due to the racial inequality that has been present and recently been put into the spotlight. What happened between Martin and Zimmerman not only changed them but society as

well.
In conclusion, The George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case has changed society significantly. Although justice was not served to Zimmerman for his wrong doing, the case has opened doors for future racially motivated cases and will continue to do so. The case also endorses the idea that victims are not treated with as much respect and equality. This case is an example of how despite being victimized society will find ways to figure out why victims were put in that situation leading to a bigger problem of victim blaming. Although the case has been present for quite some time it was still interesting and great to look at once again with the information I have now.