Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old boy, walking to the store to get skittles and a bottle of juice for his sister in the rain. He put his hoodie up, and that signaled to George Zimmerman he might be armed. Trayvon was not. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch patrolling the townhouse community when he came upon the unarmed young man. He shot and killed Trayvon, who had no criminal record. President Barack Obama said "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”
Trayvon's death began a national debate about race relations and the shooting drew attention to Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law. It allows people to use lethal force if they fear for their safety and does not require them to retreat from a dangerous situation, even when it’s possible to do so.
Jason Sole and Andre Wright are the creators of a social movment through fashion called Humanize My Hoodie. Here's their mission:
THE MISSION
Help us de-stigmatizing clothing trends associated with Black and Indigenous People of Color. The senseless killings of Black people at the hands of police officers have spurred conversations about society’s perception of the hoodie. Simply put: If you are Black and sporting a hoodie, YOU ARE CONSIDERED A THREAT. We seek to create a world in which our fashion isn’t probable cause to be slain in the streets!
