WASHINGTON — Trayvon Martin’s father appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, vowing to fight against those who have “slandered and demonized” his son.
Appearing before the first meeting of the Congressional Caucus on Black Men & Boys, Martin said he won’t let the recent “verdict sum up who Trayvon was.”
“I’m about to do everything in my power not to give up the fight for him,” Martin said.
Martin’s appearance before the committee comes two weeks after a jury in Sanford, Fla. acquitted George Zimmerman of murder charges in the shooting death of his 17-year-old son. Zimmerman’s lawyers maintained he acted in self-defense in the February 2012 incident.
Martin gave opening remarks at the meeting, which was called, “The Status of Black Males: Ensuring Our Boys Mature Into Strong Men.” The meeting was chaired by District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Illinois Rep. Danny Davis, two Democrats.
“It’s something you can never get over,” Martin, who recently founded the Trayvon Martin Foundation, said of losing his son.
“When we talk about what are the greatest gifts that a man can receive from a woman, I think that greatest gift is a son,” Martin said.