MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, believes more needs to be done to save the lives of the African-American children who continue to die in shootings. After her son's death five years ago, she turned into an advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fulton said that when George Zimmerman said he killed her 17-year-old son, because he felt threatened, she was determined to not be a victim. In her new book, Rest in Power, she and Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, share their journey from despair to activism.
Fulton said that she didn't want her son's death to become just another homicide. And while at Miami Norland Senior High School, her alma mater, she said more needs to be done. She believes her work with the foundation that she set up in her son's memory and the book are still not enough.
"I am considering running for office ... I can do my best," Fulton said.
Fulton joined the My Future, My Choice movement's third town hall on Friday. The Local 10 News effort aims to raise awareness about the need to end the ongoing cycle of violence in Miami. The event highlighted programs that are working against the strong forces that are risking the lives of children and teenagers every day.
Some of the cast members of "Moonlight" also participated in the town hall. Their success proves to be an example of the benefits of promoting the arts in Miami and supporting projects that expand opportunities for teens like Sharif Earp, who had been shot before a job with the film changed his life.
"A lot of these kids get into trouble out of just sheer boredom," Earp said. "There is nothing to do. You look outside, it's hopeless."
Xavier Gustave found a way out of the streets through the Guitars Over Guns program. He was among the students who talked about the program has changed their lives and exposed them to the power of creativity. Gustave said he hopes to one day give back with his own business.
"I just want a place where we can give to the world what we have been given," Gustave said.
Fulton said she believes not enough is being done to end the cycle of violence that has many African-American parents living in fear. She got a taste of politics when she campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton last year.
"The only thing I can do is try," Fulton said about running for office herself. "And, I am not afraid to try."