Martin Luther King, Jr. Association and Interfaith Ministers Gather for Vigil
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| More than 300 residents, black, white, and Hispanic, gathered at Asheville’s City-County Plaza. Photo: Urban News |
By Johnnie Grant
By now nearly everyone has heard about the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old shot by a “neighborhood watch” vigilante in Sanford, FL on Feb. 26.
On Sunday, April 1, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County invited area ministers of different faiths to hold a prayer vigil for Martin, his family, and other victims of injustice. To the more than 300 residents, black, white, and Hispanic, who gathered at Asheville’s City-County Plaza, the Martin incident is unquestionably the result of racial profiling, vigilantism, and the dangers of loose gun laws.
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| In solidarity with Trayvon Martin, many wore “hoodies.” Photo: Urban News |
Parents held their young children close and expressed the hope that
they would never encounter such loss – along with the fear that any
African American family could. In solidarity with Trayvon, many wore
“hoodies” while others waved bags of Skittles. One parent had inscribed
on her hoodie the words: “Do I look suspicious?” and said, “The reality
is you can get shot just for looking the way you are – walking down the
street wearing a hooded sweat jacket, which is outrageous!”
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| The gathering gave people a chance to air grievances and cases of injustice between the police, the courts, and our communities. Photo: Urban News |
Minister David Miles stated, “When we assume that young people,
especially young people of color from poor neighborhoods, are the
problem, we are actually missing the solution. The solution is dealing
with the problem – America has a ‘race problem.’ It is profoundly sad
that it takes a shooting death to get Americans to talk about it, or
acknowledge it. What better way to honor this tragic event than to offer
up our prayers of understanding in hope that something like this
doesn’t happen again.”
Oralene Simmons, Chairperson of the MLK,
Jr. Association, explained the reasons for the vigil, stating, “This was
rightfully an occasion to say that we joined the voice of our nation in
saying that we should take a stand in solidarity in justice for Trayvon
Martin. I hoped that those who gathered would know that this incident
had become a rallying cry, a chance to air what we believe are years of
grievances and cases of injustice between the police, the courts, and
our communities. Parents waiting on their sons to come home realize that
they are the mothers and fathers of Trayvon Martin,” she said.
“This
senseless killing crosses every racial and economic line, and we have a
joining of voices for the young and old. We not only call for justice,
but a healing of our nation with words, songs, and messages from our
interfaith vigil.”
