Poster of the Week

Still Waiting for Justice
Hunter Langston
digital print, 2012
Michigan
39498

Text:  Still Waiting for Justice  Trayvon Martin  born February 5, 1995 Murdered February 26, 2012

Trayvon Martin was an unarmed 17-year-old African American male who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.   Zimmerman, a 28-year-old biracial Hispanic American, was a community watch volunteer for the gated community where the shooting took place. Zimmerman was taken into custody, but released when the police agreed with Zimmerman’s claim that the shooting was in self-defense.  Six weeks later, amidst heightened media attention, Zimmerman was charged with murder by a new prosecutor.  The circumstances of Martin's death, the delay in charging Zimmerman, and questions about Florida's Stand Your Ground law received national and international attention.  After Zimmerman was found not guilty on July 13, 2013, thousands protested the verdict across the United States, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, Tampa and Washington, D.C.   The Justice Department is considering filing Federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

When this poster was first produced following Trayvon’s murder, the title referred to the fact that George Zimmerman had not been arrested for the crime.  Sadly, the poster now reflects on the not-guilty verdict. Trayvon Martin and all of us are still waiting for justice.

Sources:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/images-travyvon-martin-protests-zimmerman-verdict
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/7/16/naacp_leads_push_for_federal_civil
http://www.democracynow.org/topics/trayvon_martin

Posters of the Week

One Million Hoodie March

Artist Unknown,

Digital, 2012

New York, New York

Still Waiting for Justice

Hunter Langston

Digital 2012

Detroit, Michigan

On the 44^th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., April 4, 1968, CSPG’s Posters of the Week commemorate the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, 17.

The story is now well-known: On February 26, 2012, Trayvon was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, who stalked and then fatally shot the unarmed youth while Trayvon was returning from a convenience store. That Zimmerman was not arrested and allowed to keep his gun continues to fuel the national outrage.

But initially, the case received little press attention, and for the first 10 days after Trayvon's death, the story was only covered by the Florida media. Not until March 8, 2012, did the national media begin covering the case. And much of the subsequent attention is thanks to grassroots efforts.

On March 17, Maria Roach, Maryland resident and mother, began circulating a petition through MoveOn.org, demanding justice for Trayvon Martin. Nine days later, she delivered more than 500,000 signatures to the Department of Justice in Washington. If you want to add your signature: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272971&id=37516-3264124-0OR8AXx&t=2

The case continues to polarize the nation, and demonstrations demanding justice for Trayvon, and the arrest and trial of George Zimmerman, have taken place throughout the U.S., including Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Indianapolis and New York. Many demonstrators wear “hoodies” to protest the stereotyping and racial profiling that led to this tragedy.

The two posters included here are very different, but both are inspired by the same tragic event. The first, done anonymously, has helped mobilize demonstrations around the country. The second, by Hunter Langston, a professional graphic designer, places the event in the context of Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, as well is in the larger national debate around the need for gun control.

Sources:

http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2012/03/moveon-delivers-petition-signed-by-500000-people-demanding-justice-for-trayvon/

http://moveon.org/SongForTrayvon?id=38007-19980072-qOzVwox&t=2

http://moveonorgnfo.blogspot.com/2012/03/stop-smearing-trayvon-martin.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law

DemocracyNow.org also has numerous articles and interviews regarding Trayvon Martin.