ESSENCE Fest Speakers on Trayvon Martin Case

The tragic case of Trayvon Martin came up during the ESSENCE Festival Empowerment Experience. Find out what a few speakers had to say.

Monique Valeris Jul, 17, 2013

The Trayvon Martin case was on the minds of ESSENCE Festival speakers in New Orleans during July 4th weekend. Here’s what a few speakers said during the event about George Zimmerman, who has since been acquitted of all murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin.

Congressman John Lewis:
“If this man (George Zimmerman) is acquitted, we must organize, mobilize, and we must not become bitter or hostile. We must struggle and fight for justice. And as Myrlie Evers-Williams said, ‘We must not give up or give in.’ We must use every ingredient that is in keeping with the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence to say we are not going to take it anymore.”

Shirley Sherrod:
“Hopefully the man (George Zimmerman) won’t be acquitted, but even if he is we still need to work. Those issues won’t be dealt with unless we deal with it.”

Follow ESSENCE.com for the latest news on the Trayvon Martin case.