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March 27, 2012

Students, staff, and faculty from Tulane and Loyola “occupy the hood” outside Weinmann Hall on Friday (March 23), nearly one month after Florida teen Trayvon Martin was killed near his gated-community home. (Photos/Lauren Gavioli)

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Wearing hooded sweatshirts and raingear Friday (Mar. 23), members of both the Tulane and Loyola university communities convened outside Tulane Law School’s Weinmann Hall to support justice for Trayvon Martin. A self-appointed neighborhood guard, who admits to following, confronting, and shooting the 17-year-old to death one month ago, is at the center of a federal investigation into the crime after allegedly stating that Martin’s “suspicious” demeanor and ‘hoodie’ silhouette caused him to act in self-defense.

The Tulane Black Law Student Association (BLSA) organized Friday’s “occupy the hood” event as part of a nationwide movement calling on the Department of Justice to intervene, prosecute Martin’s killer, and “hold the local police accountable for mishandling the case.” BLSA Secretary Amanda Austin, a second-year law student at Tulane, encouraged event participants to stay informed, spread the word, and remind people of ‘due process.’

Students heed the words of BLSA Secretary Amanda Austin, who encourages participants to take flyers and “get the word out about this tragic event.”

“There are procedural steps that should occur whenever a shooting takes place,” read ‘Justice for Trayvon’ flyers, which reinforced Austin’s message. “These steps were not followed by law enforcement.”

In a case that continues to spark outrage and racial tensions around the world, groups like BLSA remain relentless in the fight for justice, “because,” they assert, “we are all Trayvon Martin.”