Trayvon Martin's Family Will Speak At Local Conference Helping Parents Deal With Violence
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The family of Trayvon Martin is headed to Philadelphia in two weeks for a conference focused on curtailing violence in the Black community.
Seventeen-year-old Martin was unarmed when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, this past February. The boy's death has hit home in Philadelphia.
"It's not so much about Trayvon Martin. It's about all the Trayvon's in Philadelphia and across the county," says Yvette Mitchell, Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Caucus of the International Caucus of Women of the African Diaspora.
The group is organizing of The Trayvon Martin Save Our Sons and Daughters Project, which kicks off on October 5th. She says the three-day conference designed to open the dialogue between parents, political leaders and community organizations.
"What we wanted to do was to develop some strategies and begin to implement those strategies so we have a whole weekend to do just that," says Mitchell. "Enough talk! We have to do something. We must act! And action through collective will is going to make things happen."
Mitchell says the Martin family and their attorneys will speak, as well as local and national civic leaders and mentors.
"We have a press conference followed by a town meeting at Zion Baptist Church where not only will Mr. Crump- the Trayvon Martin family attorney will be speaking, but also Mr. Dick Gregory, long-time civil rights activist, we have Michael Coard," she says.
She says the town meeting and much of the conference is free and open to the public, but there will be a luncheon and brunch fundraiser for the Trayvon Martin Family Defense Fund.
The Conference runs October 5th through 7th.
For more info on times, locations and costs CLICK HERE.
