NEW HAVEN, CT JOINS THE NATIONWIDE “JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON” VIGILS

Rev. Boise Kimber: (203) 996-8347; drkimberone@aol.com WHO: Rev. Boise Kimber, National Action Network (NAN), President of the Regional Chapter, National Board member Scot X Esdaile, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), State President Rev. James Newman, Greater New Haven Clergy Association, Chairman Rev. Jose Jean Champagne, New Haven Hispanic Clergy Association, President Pastor Donald Morris, Christian Community Commission, Executive Director WHEN: Saturday, July 20, 2013 – 11:00 a.m. WHERE: 157 Church Street, New Haven, CT Outside of the United States Department of Justice United States Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut BACKGROUND: On July 16, 2013, Rev. Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network (NAN) announced that NAN is organizing “Justice for Trayvon” vigils in 100 cities across the country for Saturday, July 20th to press the federal government to investigate civil rights charges against George Zimmerman. Earlier this week over two-hundred ministers participated in a conference call and are pushing congregants to register in various cities at www.nationalactionnetwork.net. Locally, five groups have come together to organize a local “Justice for Trayvon” rally in New Haven CT. They are; the regional chapter of the NAN, the state chapter of the NAACP, the Greater New Haven Clergy Association, the New Haven Hispanic Clergy Association, and the Christian Community Commission. These local sponsors are calling on any other groups and individuals interested in signing on as sponsors to sign up at the following web address: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TY2Y75S. In addition, residents can find out more by contacting the group at justice4trayvon.nhct@gmail.com, or by following us at www.facebook.com/groups/Justice4Trayvon.nhct/. NOTABLE QUOTES: Rev. Al Sharpton: “Trayvon Martin had the civil right to go home. He was not doing anything wrong.” Rev: Boise Kimber: “How many more times do we have to rally around justice for our children? How many more courts will free overzealous vigilantes who gun down unarmed American citizens and cry self defense? Black and Brown American teens should feel confident that the American justice system also works for them; the Zimmerman acquittal tells them otherwise.” Scot X Esdaile: “The Trayvon decision is a travesty to American justice. It is imperative to mobilize all communities to insure that Zimmerman will be prosecuted for depriving this unarmed teenager of his civil rights of ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’.” Rev. James Newman: “Trayvon Martin had the God given and legal rights to defend himself against this armed man who stalked, confronted and gunned him down. First he was murdered by this vigilante, and then he was assassinated by the criminal justice system that turned him from a murder victim to criminal assailant.” Rev. Jose Champagne: “There is something fundamentally wrong with our justice system when a person can be set free by killing the only witness against him. We all should be concerned about the safety of our youth when this system allows them to essentially be transformed from a victim to a villain during an evening stroll from the local candy store.” Pastor Donald Morris: “We can not let this one go. We can not allow our children to hear the American justice system say that their lives have no value. No teenager, Black or otherwise, should feel that going to the store to buy Skittle’s can result in their murder, and the acquittal of their murderer.”

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NEW HAVEN, CT JOINS THE NATIONWIDE “JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON” VIGILS

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