Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old whose shooting death by George Zimmerman and the acquittal of his killer became a catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement and national conversations about racial justice.
On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges. Martin's death and the acquittal sparked widespread protests and became a significant catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement, which was founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. Black Lives Matter subsequently grew into one of the largest racial justice movements.
While Martin himself was not an activist, his name became synonymous with the fight against racial injustice and police brutality. The Black Lives Matter movement, co-founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi and catalyzed by his death, became a global movement for racial justice.
He was shot and killed on February 26, 2012
George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges
His death catalyzed the Black Lives Matter movement
BLM was founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi
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