TRAYVON MARTIN

Harry Belafonte, who died Tuesday at age 96, left behind generations of admirers and proteges.

A new, 63-page IRS tax filing shared exclusively with The Associated Press shows the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. ended its last fiscal year with nearly $42 million in net assets.

In an exclusive interview, Patrisse Cullors, the former leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, tells The Associated Press that neither she nor anyone else in leadership has misused millions of dollars in donations.

Two of the NBA’s most significant dynasties emerged in the second decade of the 2000s.

The mother of Trayvon Martin is marking the 10th anniversary of her son’s death by thanking those who sought justice for her family and urging them to continue to fight.

Before Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and other Black people died at the hands of white police officers or self-appointed vigilantes, there was Martin Lee Anderson.

Florida civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump recalls being in court in early 2012 when he received a phone call from a fellow lawyer whose relative had been fatally shot in Sanford days earlier.

Community leaders are reflecting on the death of Trayvon Martin, but in their reflection, a call to action has risen and they’re looking to have tough conversations about racial inequalities.

Ten years ago when Trayvon Martin was fatally shot, Florida was one of the few states with “stand your ground” laws that eased use of deadly force in the face of danger.

February is not only Black History Month, but also the month the 17-year-old was born—and the month he was killed. And since his death, Sanford Police Department has instilled changes for the betterment of the community.

Trayvon Martin was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida, when the 17-year-old Black teen was fatally shot Feb. 26, 2012, during a confrontation with George Zimmerman.

The killing of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a stranger still reverberates 10 years later -- in protest, in partisanship, in racial reckoning and reactionary response, in social justice and social media.

In the decade since Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, and especially in the last couple of years since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, policing has rapidly evolved — perhaps the most ever in a short amount of time.

A judge in Florida has dismissed a defamation and conspiracy lawsuit former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman had filed against the parents of Trayvon Martin, the teen he fatally shot almost a decade ago.

A South Florida law school says it is creating a social justice center named after Ben Crump, the Black civil rights attorney who has gained national prominence representing victims of police brutality and vigilante violence.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother says she is thankful for justice, but says the murder convictions of the men who cornered and killed her son won't bring him back.

The upcoming verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial for shooting three men during street unrest in Wisconsin comes against a backdrop of deep political divisions and expanded access to guns in the United States – factors that some fear could lead to more dangerous encounters.

Kyle Rittenhouse, the aspiring police officer who gunned down three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a protest last summer against racism and police brutality, is white.

Colin Powell was the first Black person to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs and secretary of state.

The estate of Henrietta Lacks sued a biotechnology company on Monday, saying it's been selling her cervical cells without her knowledge or consent.

Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, is stepping down as executive director of the movement's foundation.

Parents and siblings of Black men killed by police urged people during a discussion in the city where George Floyd was killed a year ago to join them in pursuing legal changes they say can make more deaths less likely in the future.

Many Black men and women in the U.S. are keeping tabs on what’s unfolding in the televised murder trial of white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, taking in what they can before turning away to allow their anger and hurt to subside.

In this image from Minneapolis city surveillance video, Minneapolis police are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. Floyd’s name is more widely known than Chauvin, but calling it the “Floyd trial” would wrongly imply that the victim was the one on trial. Most called it the Chauvin trial. CourtTV called it “The Death of George Floyd Murder Trial.” ABC said it was the “Derek Chauvin Trial, 10 Months After George Floyd’s Death.”For some of the specialty networks, the trial offers a rare opportunity to increase viewership, both on the air and online. CBS' website will carry its own coverage, along with that of the network's Minneapolis affiliate, he said.

The 15-member “Race, Equality, Equity and Inclusion" group will be made up of residents, people who work in Sanford and business owners, the Orlando Sentinel reported. AdThey're being asked to deliver a report detailing its findings to the city commission in about eight months. Martin's death helped lead to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013. Today, two of the city's commissioners, the police chief and city manager are Black. The city will provide the committee with up to $35,000 to pay for technical assistance, conducting surveys and other costs.

This marks the first time in the movement’s nearly eight-year history that BLM leaders have revealed a detailed look at their finances. The foundation said it committed $21.7 million in grant funding to official and unofficial BLM chapters, as well as 30 Black-led local organizations. In its report, the BLM foundation said individual donations via its main fundraising platform averaged $30.76. “Because the BLM movement was larger than life — and it is larger than life — people made very huge assumptions about what our actual finances looked like,” Cullors said. Leaders at the BLM foundation admit that they have not been clear about the movement’s finances and governance over the years.

The NBA painted “Black Lives Matter” on the courts inside their Orlando, Florida, “bubble" and social justice messages were emblazoned on the backs of jerseys. Paul met with NBA players, and they decided awareness wasn’t enough anymore. “Black Lives Matter” also was featured prominently on the league’s courts. Wallace, the only full-time Black driver at the NASCAR national level, first began speaking out against racial injustice in America in the spring. His car featured a “Black Lives Matter” paint scheme.

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2020, file photo, Naomi Osaka, of Japan, holds up the championship trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. Osaka has been selected by The Associated Press as the Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)With tennis, like so much of the world, shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Naomi Osaka found herself with time to read and think. LeBron James was announced Saturday as the AP Male Athlete of the Year. I cannot be more excited.”___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this July 11, 2020 file photo, Alycia Pascual-Pena, left, and Marley Ralph kneel while holding a Black Lives Matter banner during a protest in memory of Breonna Taylor, in Los Angeles. The document, labeled “restricted to law enforcement only,” is one of the few publicly available materials on its website. The law enforcement association, known by its nickname ILEETA, says in a mission statement that it's “committed to the reduction of law enforcement risk” and saving lives through high-quality training. The paper claims that those who participated in months of protests earlier this year in Portland and Seattle were “useful idiots” designed to give cover to the “hard-core, terrorist trained troops” that would follow. Goff, whose group works with departments to make policing “less racist and deadly,” said the document showed why it's important for critics to engage directly with local law enforcement to seek changes.

MIAMI – A section of road that leads to the South Florida high school that Trayvon Martin attended now bears the name of the Black teenager whose 2012 death sparked a movement for social justice. The road became Trayvon Martin Avenue during a brief ceremony on Thursday morning near Dr. Michael K. Krop Senior High, where the teen was in 11th grade when he was killed. “Our students every morning will come out here and see the road that bears Trayvon’s name. Martin, 17, was shot dead while visiting his father in Sanford in 2012. Zimmerman’s acquittal under Florida’s self-defense law in July 2013 sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Black Lives Matter saved us, because we had nobody,” said Jones. Now, BLM’s influence faces a test, as voters in Tuesday’s election consider candidates who endorsed or denounced the BLM movement amid a national reckoning on race. Enter Black Lives Matter. Across social media platforms, the Black Lives Matter movement boasts a following of millions. “Black Lives Matter,” as a slogan, elicited “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” responses from foes.

Trust between the community and the police was broken and the world was watching to see what would happen next. In 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman during a struggle after Zimmerman followed Martin, believing Martin was suspicious. “One of the things we constantly heard is we don’t have people who look like us, sound like us, or understand us or are from our community,” Smith said. FPCA Chair Chief Anthony Holloway of the St. Petersburg Police Department said the FPCA is “serious” about its work. The Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) is the nation’s pre-eminent law enforcement professional association, speaking for more than 900 of Florida’s top law enforcement executives, and providing guidance and leadership for the future of law enforcement and our communities, according to the FPCA.

Trump’s positions on race and Biden’s decades-old controversial record on criminal justice make neither candidate particularly attractive to Black men. “You don’t lie, you acknowledge the truth, and admit that the choices before Black people in the year 2020 are abysmal,” said Agnew, an organizer with Black Men Build, a group created to empower Black men. Iraq War veteran Leo Dunson is a 35-year-old Black conservative activist and former Democrat who feels both parties have forgotten Black men. And 39% of those votes were by Black men — a similar gender breakdown to numbers reported in the 2016 general election. Harris’s tenure as a top prosecutor in California includes the disproportionate incarceration of Black men for drug offenses.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during the women's singles final against Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall. But Osaka regained control, breaking to start a match-ending run of three games, covering her face when the final was over. Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset in matches.

Authorities have been reluctant to release even the most basic information about the incident or details about the white officer who shot Blake seven times in the back. They shot my son seven times seven times, like he didnt matter, Blakes father, Jacob Blake Sr., said. In 2014, for example, a union spokesman rushed to the scene where a white Chicago officer fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. As for the shooting itself, authorities, citing the need to protect the integrity of the investigation, have raised far more questions than they've answered. Instead, he said a knife was found after the shooting on the drivers side floorboard of the SUV.

A Florida man who called himself the Antifa hunter as he waged an online campaign to terrorize and harass those who opposed his white supremacist ideology was sentenced to more than three years in prison Monday. McMahon also admitted that he threatened to sexually assault the young autistic daughter of a woman who protested against white nationalists. He called himself the Antifa hunter," a reference to anti-fascist, leftist militant activists who confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations. McMahon called for using a diversity of tactics against Gathers, which authorities interpreted as a euphemism for violence. All told, prosecutors said, McMahon compiled 35 gigabytes of data that he could "weaponize" against his targets.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Sixty-five years later (after Tills murder), we still struggle for justice demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter, King said. As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June.

Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream Speech, yet torn apart by the Black Lives Matter protests against the police shooting of another Black man, this time in Wisconsin. Friday's commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington comes as a new civil rights era is unfolding in real time in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after Sunday's shooting of Jacob Blake. REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF.Maxine Waters said she started focusing on police violence in 1979 after Los Angeles police shot a Black homemaker, Eula Love, during a confrontation over an unpaid gas bill. Now the highest-ranking Black American in Congress, Clyburn was speaking Friday at a satellite rally in Columbia, South Carolina. So theres a lot of work for Black Lives Matter to do," Clyburn told AP, and I hope to live long enough to help them get it done.

Black Lives Matter activists are holding a virtual Black National Convention Friday, Aug. 28, to adopt a political agenda calling for slavery reparations, universal basic income, environmental justice and legislation that entirely re-imagines criminal justice reforms. Anyone who is watching, who is both enraged or looking for action, will find a space" in the Black National Convention, Byrd said. The Black National Convention was originally planned to take place in-person in Detroit, the nations Blackest major city. Fridays convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Black activists and artists, albeit virtual, since the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, which concluded with the introduction of a national Black agenda. The Black National Convention broadcast begins after the D.C. march has concluded.

She faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.

She faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.

In late July, with local infection numbers rising, Bowser ordered that anyone traveling or returning to Washington from a virus hot spot must self-quarantine for 14 days. Bowser, when asked on July 30 about the potential conflict, said government officials had been in contact with march organizers and that Washington would not be relaxing its virus rules for participants. The NAACP, one of several partners in this year's commemoration, last week launched a website for a virtual March on Washington. The site will livestream the Washington march, in addition to other programming leading up to and after the event. The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, will hold its virtual Black National Convention later in the evening.

Black Lives Matter leader states, If U.S. doesnt give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Scales said. Reached by phone Thursday night, Newsome said Black Lives Matter Greater New York is now under the leadership of Black women. He also said Black Lives Matter is not a movement over which anyone can claim ownership. In Washington, D.C., the mayor ordered the words Black Lives Matter painted across a street near the White House, which also has been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.

This image released by Lionsgate shows co-writer/directors Christopher Renz, left, and Gerard Bush on the set of "Antebellum." Filmmakers Bush and Renz planned to release their feature-length debut film, Antebellum, in the spring of 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic exploded internationally. In Antebellum, Mone gives moviegoers a modern Black heroine who takes charge of her own liberation without a male-dominated cavalry. Their path to feature-length films with a racial justice message has been a long time coming, Bush and Renz said. Even as they anticipate finding box office success with Antebellum, Bush and Renz are already at work on their second feature-length script, under a newly formed production company, Gloaming Pictures.

The fund includes $6 million in donations to support Black-led grassroots organizing groups. Two weeks ago, it unveiled a separate $6.5 million fund for its network of affiliate chapters. Color of Change, one of the largest online racial justice organizations, didn’t quantify how much donations have increased over the past few weeks. The fund, called the “The Emergency Fund For Racial Justice” is in partnership with the Amalgamated Foundation. Michael Jordan pledged $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education.

Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the group behind the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, has established a more than $12 million fund to aid organizations fighting institutional racism in the wake of the George Floyd protests. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK – The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has established a fund worth more than $12 million to aid organizations fighting institutional racism, in the wake of the George Floyd protests. Although there are many groups that use “Black Lives Matter” or “BLM” in their names, only 16 are considered affiliates of the global network. The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in 2013 amid anger over the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve been able to do in the last seven years,” Patrisse Cullors, co-founder and chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, said in a statement.

MIAMI – The mother of Trayvon Martin joined hundreds of demonstrators at a rally in downtown Miami on Sunday, demanding racial equality following the death of George Floyd last month at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota. At one point, demonstrators lined up U.S. flags that spelled out “RESIST” on a blocked-off downtown street. Nearby at a separate protest, dozens of police supporters waved flags and chanted “We support the police!” at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. At one point, about three dozen officers on bikes rode by the protesters and gave high-fives to supporters who applauded and took photos. The Miami Beach protest was led by Egyptia Green, a rising eighth grader who also led another protest last week.

MIAMI The mother of Trayvon Martin joined hundreds of demonstrators at a rally in downtown Miami on Sunday, demanding racial equality following the death of George Floyd last month at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota. At one point, demonstrators lined up U.S. flags that spelled out RESIST on a blocked-off downtown street. Nearby at a separate protest, dozens of police supporters waved flags and chanted We support the police! at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. At one point, about three dozen officers on bikes rode by the protesters and gave high-fives to supporters who applauded and took photos. The Miami Beach protest was led by Egyptia Green, a rising eighth grader who also led another protest last week.

NEW YORK An angry and emotional Dave Chappelle spoke on the killing of George Floyd in a surprise Netflix special, saying America was being punished for its mistreatment of black men. The special was released Thursday and is streaming free on Netflixs comedy YouTube channel. It was taken from a show at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with about 100 attendees on June 6. Chappelle called his special 8:46 in part after the length of time the officer was on top of the handcuffed Floyd. When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die, said the comedian.

Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. Its very name enraged its foes, who countered with the slogans Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter." Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. When we started Black Lives Matter, it was really to have a larger conversation around this country about its relationship to black people, said Patrisse Cullors, one of three black women who founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network, with chapters throughout the U.S. and in Britain and Canada. Last week, longtime Sacramento Kings TV broadcaster Grant Napear resigned after tweeting ALL LIVES MATTER when asked his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Mourners pass by the casket of George Floyd during a public visitation for Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church Monday, June 8, 2020, in Houston. George Floyd, who was 46 when he was killed, will be laid to rest next to his mother. Floyd's death sparked international protests and drew new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system. Four Minneapolis officers were charged in connection with Floyd's death, which was captured on video by bystanders, who begged police to stop hurting him. A Minnesota judge on Monday kept bail at $1.25 million for Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged with second-degree murder in Floyds death.

But two coaches said Saturday that once the league arrives at Disney, they would expect the NBAs visibility to be an asset again in the hope for actual change. Orlando coach Steve Clifford also seems convinced that the leagues players and coaches will take some sort of action when the season resumes. Well have a collective platform where everyone can collectively send a message condemning racism, racial injustice, calling for police accountability. Spoelstra has been on several calls with political leaders in South Florida in recent days for that same purpose. We all thought that that was going to move the needle and it didnt and it broke your heart, Spoelstra said.

FILE - In this June 29, 2009 file photo, Spike Lee attends a special 20th anniversary screening of his film "Do the Right Thing" in New York. Do the Right Thing, about rising racial tensions on a hot summer day in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, took direct inspiration from reality. Many years later, Eric Garner, automatically I thought of Ray Raheem," said Lee. I mean, he was quoting the words of Eric Garner: I cant breathe. He was channeling Eric Garner. I haven't seen this diverse protests since when I was a kid, Lee said, citing the movements of the '60s.

Black lives matter. At the same time, companies must consider whether it makes sense for them to weigh in, especially on an issue as sensitive as race. Media giant ViacomCBS tweeted Black Lives Matter. Expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Movement is the right message, but everyone is jumping in on that bandwagon, said Allen Adamson, co-founder and managing partner of Metaforce a marketing and product consultancy. Each of these black lives matter.

The footage of Arbery’s death was not the only thing that rattled the nation’s conscience. “The slothfulness and inaction of the judicial system, in this case, is a gross testament to the blatant white racial privileges that permeates throughout our country and our institutions." A Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement said the McMichaels confronted Arbery with two firearms and that Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery. While likening Arbery’s death to a lynching may seem like an apt comparison, doing so isn’t sufficient for understanding why the man’s death is a tragedy, said Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative. The organization has cataloged more than 4,400 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. that took place between Reconstruction and World War II.

George Zimmerman has filed a lawsuit against Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren, after he claimed both candidates damaged his reputation while paying tribute to Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman claims the candidates were attempting to “garner votes in the black community,” Newsweek.com reported. We need to end gun violence and racism. https://t.co/9lXXlRnvzL — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 6, 2020According to Zimmerman’s lawsuit, both Warren and Buttigieg falsely connected Martin’s death with gun violence, even though he claims he acted in self-defense on the night of the shooting. Warren and Buttigieg’s tweets were used as a part of their “political agenda to garner votes in the black community,” the lawsuit added.

In this undated photo made available by the Modell family, Ryan Modell, right, visits Paris with his father Sandy Modell. Sandy Modell is asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to reopen the investigation into his son's 2016 shooting death during an altercation at Ryan Modell's Fort Myers, Fla., condominium complex. Local prosecutors declined to charge the shooter, Steve Taylor, citing the state's "stand your ground" law, a decision Sandy Modell wants reversed. (Modell family via AP)

In this undated photo made available by the Modell family, Ryan Modell, right, visits Paris with his father Sandy Modell. Local prosecutors declined to charge the shooter, Steve Taylor, citing the state's "stand your ground" law, a decision Sandy Modell wants reversed. (Modell family via AP)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In a case involving Florida's controversial “stand your ground” law, Gov. In both the Martin and Modell slayings, prosecutors cited the “stand your ground” law in deciding, at least initially, not to prosecute. In the Modell case, O'Mara argues that “stand your ground” does not apply.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – George Zimmerman is suing Trayvon Martin’s family, prosecutors and others for $100 million. Zimmerman, a Sanford neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012, was acquitted of homicide in the fatal shooting of Martin, who was 17 years old. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County, where Zimmerman now lives, cites information in a documentary about the case that accuses the Martin family of engineering false testimony. According to the newly filed lawsuit, Zimmerman cites a documentary about the case accusing Martin’s family of lying about a witness who testified. Zimmerman filed a defamation lawsuit against NBC News several years ago, claiming the media company had maliciously edited phone calls Zimmerman placed to 911 shortly after he shot and killed Martin.