Dear Trayvon

Dear Trayvon,

My name is Joe Patterson. We don’t know each other, but we have a lot in common. We are both young Black males, we have both faced ignorance and discrimination because of our skin color and we share a birthday, February 5th. I just wanted to write you a letter to let you know how life has been going since you’ve been gone.

It’s been 12 years since you’ve been gone and ALOT has happened in your absence young brother. Not that it should faze you because you’re resting in peace now, but your killer was exonerated for killing you. The road to the trial for your murder was a firestorm, a revolution. So many people of various backgrounds came together in solidarity because we wanted justice for your wrongful death. Even the world of Hollywood came to your defense and people marched and protest from dusk til’ dawn with a desire to see you have justice.

Like I said before, the man who killed you was allowed to walk free and it led to an uproar of civil unrest. As if your unjust death wasn’t enough, more innocent young Black males and females have been unjustly killed, some of which were even younger than you, Trayvon. Just like with your unjustly death, many of their deaths ended with their killers being allowed to walk free and as a result, civil unrest followed. There have been countless protest, riots and even retaliation killings. It’s been all out warfare and it is still going on.

I’ll never forget the night that the not guilty verdict was decided for your killer. I actually shed tears of anger. I felt the kind of anger that our parent’s generation felt when the police officers who beat Rodney King were allowed to walk away free when we had his lynching on tape. It was just another reminder of how worthless our lives are to the American justice system a whole 20 years later. I wanted to lash out and wanted revenge and I wasn’t the only one who felt that anger.

Young Black Americans such as Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Tamir Rice all suffered the same fate as you and the world has become a different place in light of the struggle that we as Black people are still facing. Though the bad is still going on, the efforts of the good who are against it are also still taking place.

Trayvon, I understand that you’re in a better place looking in on all the good taking place without an ounce of worry about the bad that has happened, as it should be, but you should know about the legacy of good that your life has inspired. You would be so proud to see all the good that your family has done in your absence. Your mother Sabrina has dedicated her life to fighting for Justice so that your death wouldn’t be in vain. She has played an active role in making sure that other Black families get justice for fallen loved ones, your mother is nothing short of a soldier for civil rights.

You should also know that we haven’t forgotten about you. Everything you are and everything you were destined to be remains in our hearts and minds. We know that you loved football and had a chance to one day be that Black star athlete who would’ve inspired so many others like you. Furthermore we know that you were interested in aviation. You could’ve been the next Black pilot or astronaut who would’ve inspired the next generation in ways that we never would’ve imagined. You may not have been a pilot, but you definitely got your wings. We love and miss you Trayvon. Happy Heavenly birthday, my fellow Aquarian brother and may you continue to Rest In Peace.

~~Dedicated to the memory of Trayvon Benjamin Martin, Happy Birthday young brother.