MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - There's outrage across the U.S., including Memphis, as charges have not been filed over the fatal shooting of an unarmed teen. Communities in Memphis are stepping up and asking for justice for the killing of Florida teen, Trayvon Martin.
Johnnie B. Watson, President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis said, "This isn't a black issue, this is a human issue."
Watson was a student at the University when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stopped there. "I'm saddened today," Watson said, "I'm saddened because I graduated from this college 50 years ago, and I thought the kinds of things that are occurring now, were over many, many years ago, but they're not."
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, said it was self defense; he was questioned but never arrested. It's caused outrage across the nation.
In Memphis, the center of the civil rights movement, young adults were standing up for justice. A vigil was held at the National Civil Rights Museum and students joined outside the student center at LeMoyne-Owen College for a moment of silence and prayer honoring Martin.
Jasmine Scott helped organize the event. She noted, "How is it that someone is walking free? No matter what color his skin is, a child was gunned down for no reason at all."
Another student who helped with the event, Quincie Lee, said Memphis is the perfect city to take a stand in. "Memphis has a rich history in civil rights and fighting for them. It's a great way to join in with the nation and every little bit helps and if one part of the nation is doing it then hopefully people will get the message and justice will be served for Trayvon Martin."
After the moment of silence and prayer, a celebration rang through LeMoyne-Owen campus with songs and dancing as a way to honor Martin's life. "It's good to see young people stand up for such a great cause," Scott said, "We know what injustice is, we know what's right and we know what's wrong."
Watson said, "I think with this country rallying around what's happening in Florida, this unfortunate incident, that possibly we won't have to address this again in my lifetime."
The organizers of the event at LeMoyne-Owen College hope campuses across the country follow their lead, hoping their actions force an investigation.
