Trayvon Martin’s Parents Visit White House To Remember Their Son

On the anniversary of the day their teenage son was shot and killed, Trayvon Martin's parents remembered him at the White House. Barack Obama said that the anniversary was a reminder that “showing all our kids — all of them — that they matter, every single day, is part of our task.” On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, then 17, was walking in his Florida neighborhood when he was stopped by George Zimmerman, a member of the local neighborhood patrol. In the resulting altercation, Martin, who was unarmed, was shot and killed. He was later acquitted of second-degree murder, claiming self-defense. Just this week, federal prosecutors said they would not investigate Zimmerman for hate crimes. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that she felt Zimmerman should be in prison: "He took a life, carelessly and recklessly, and he shouldn't deserve to have his entire life walking around on the street free. I just believe that he should be held accountable for what he's done." In the immediate aftermath of Trayvon's killing, Obama addressed the tragedy more personally, saying "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." Martin's case initiated a national protest in favor of racial justice that evolved into the #BlackLivesMatter movement this summer, after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Trayvon's parents' visit was part of an event celebrating the achievements of African-Americans for Black History Month. The event was attended by Congresswomen Sheila Jackson and Nancy Pelosi along with the first family.