KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The family of Trayvon Martin, the teen who was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, spoke in Kissimmee on Friday to a packed house.
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin spoke at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center to address questions pertaining to the Zimmerman trial and coverage.
The Martin family said they are taking no stance on a proposed boycott of Florida following the acquittal of Zimmerman.
Benjamin Crump, the Martin family attorney, said they want to take something painful like Martin's death and make something positive out of it. He said they want to encourage 26 states to adopt the Trayvon Martin amendment to the "stand your ground" laws.
"We don't want this to happen to your kids," Crump said, encouraging people to talk to legislators and sign petitions.
The amendment would require retreat and that the person wouldn't be able to initiate contact and claim self-defense.
"Our children have the right to walk in peace," said Crump. "The verdict will not define Trayvon Martin."
Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said Friday that opponents of Zimmerman's acquittal have the right to express themselves, but that she and the teen's father are neither supporting nor opposing the proposal.
Fulton spoke during a packed news conference at the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Entertainer Stevie Wonder has vowed not to perform in Florida as long as the state's "stand your ground" self-defense law remains on the books. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton has suggested that the law's opponents might boycott Florida orange juice.
Other groups want a boycott on the state's tourist destinations, both multibillion-dollar industries.
The family will also be participating in the W.E.B. DuBois Plenary Session at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention at 2 p.m.
Zimmerman was found not guilty last month of second-degree murder in Martin's death, sparking national outcry.
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