Last night the author attended a gathering at the Allen Chapel AME Church in Sanford, Fla. The following is an excerpt of her remarks:
As we learn more about the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin, concerns are being raised about the manner, thoroughness and neutrality of the investigation by the police in Sanford, Fla.
The concern is justified.
To understand it, it helps to know how we got here. Not the events of Feb. 26, which ended in Trayvon's death, but a sad history in Florida where justice for all has been illusive — and justice for some impossible. Too often, crimes with clear, undeniable racial motives were swept under the rug or overlooked while families and communities waited in vain for justice.