Though the Trayvon Martin case may have closed this summer, the discussion of it has not.
UNC’s Black Student Movement’s three-part lecture series discussing the court decision concluded Wednesday night with a session entitled “Empower Yourself!”
The panel of speakers included former N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, high school student Akira Height of Raleigh and members of the N.C. NAACP, Langston Byrd and Rena McNeil.
A common theme throughout the event was the importance of continuing the discussion of the court decision.
Keeping the conversation going allows other cultures to establish a better understanding of the events surrounding the case, the panelists agreed.
“Contact is absolutely critical,” Kinnaird said.
“I felt after the case was over people were left wondering and confused,” said Summer Holmes, BSM Political Action Committee co-chair. The lecture series provided students an opportunity to share their differing perspectives and feelings about the case.
The BSM, in conjunction with the Carolina Black Caucus and the UNC NAACP, hosted the lecture series in order to discuss the implications and outcomes of the controversial State of Florida v. George Zimmerman case.
The first lecture explained the legal vernacular surrounding the case, and the second discussed the effects of being black in America and the media representation of the case. Wednesday night’s discussion focused on what students can do about race relations regardless of gender and ethnicity.