Pasadena Church members hold peaceful march for Justice

A peaceful march through the streets of Pasadena Wednesday night honored Trayvon Martin -Photos by Terry Miller

By SHEL SEGAL
It might have happened nearly 3,000 miles away, but for some here in the San Gabriel Valley it has hit a lot closer to home.
With George Zimmerman being acquitted by a Florida jury on July 13 of killing Trayvon Martin in February 2012, more than 100 people gathered at the First African Methodist Episcopalian Church of Pasadena on Wednesday evening to pray and walk in memory of the 17-year-old boy.
Rev. Melanie Mays said people here want those to know what was done to Martin was wrong and made even worse by not punishing Zimmerman.
“There is a feeling of injustice of what was done to a young black man in Florida,” said Mays, who has been with the church for seven years. “Just to unite under that and develop a dialogue of peace with our church and our community. Just from the recent week, the last few days, the rioting and the nonsense things that have been happening, I think it is very important that we show a face of what the church is. The church is about peace and understanding and writing to right wrongs.”
Martin was an African American boy who was shot and killed by Zimmerman – who is white and Latino – in Florida during an altercation. Zimmerman, who was 28 at the time of the shooting, was acquitted by a six-member, all-female jury that had five whites on it.
Zimmerman’s acquittal has prompted many to accuse the justice system as having a racial bias and has sparked out-of-control riots in south Los Angeles.
Mays added she thinks the jury got it wrong this time.
“I believe they could have made a better decision,” she said. “They made the decision based on how they perceived it, but we do feel it was incorrect. In this situation we felt like it was a slap in the face.”

In addition, Mays said while she does not condone the violence that has swept into south Los Angeles following the verdict, she does understand why it is happening.
“When it comes to those young individuals I think what it comes down to is it’s another way to shout out and say, ‘We feel hurt,’” Mays said. “‘We feel abused, we feel we’re not treated fairly by the police, we’re already suspects and we’re already thought to be losers.’ That hurts and so they hurt back. Their souls cry out and lash out at whatever they can lash out at. On a deeper level I’m sure they’re not even cognizant that they’re tearing down their own neighborhood.”
The march attracted 21-year-old college student Natalya Romo to come all the way from the San Fernando Valley. Romo said more needs to be done in Martin’s memory.
“I feel that there are many people who look at this situation from all spectrums of races and feel that race is not involved and I feel that race is involved,” said Romo, who is attending Howard University in Washington D.C. “It is an injustice that someone is let off the hook for killing a black young man. Just the fact that someone was let off while someone is laying in a casket is not right. I feel that shows the value of a black man’s life in this country. The priority isn’t there.”
Pasadena resident Barbara McPheeters agreed.
“We’re going to have to stick together and we’re going to have to fight for justice,” she said.
(Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com).

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