Sybrina Fulton Writes Essay Ten Years After Son Trayvon Martin’s Death

Sybrina Fulton has written a new essay, Trayvon: Ten Years Later A Mother’s Essay, published by Amazon Original Stories, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, on February 1 and available free for Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited members, and for sale for Kindle and as an Audible audiobook narrated by Fulton (available for free to those who purchase the Kindle edition). Fulton, of Miami Gardens, Florida, is also the author of Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin (Random House), and cofounded the Trayvon Martin Foundation with Tracy Martin.

In the essay, Fulton writes of the immediate aftermath of learning the news ten years ago, “The pain was unimaginable. Of all the possibilities, I could not conceive that something as ordinary as a walk from the local 7-Eleven would end in my son’s death.”

Fulton writes of how her faith helped get her through this dark time and that she gains inspiration from a new generation of leaders. “While one generation is getting older, we need the next generation to step up to the plate and use their voice on behalf of our people. The youth have the spirit and enthusiasm, we just need to show them how and get out of their way. The very future of our people is at stake, and there’s no room for nonsense or playing games.”

The essay has a foreword by attorney Benjamin Crump, who writes, “Trayvon Martin inspired me to focus on the future. As a civil rights attorney, I fight for justice, often for families who have lost a child to racism. But I refuse to set the bar so low that I will only fight to stop Black men from getting shot in the back. That is not equality. It’s not justice.”

Of working with Fulton on the essay, Selena James, senior editor at Amazon Original Stories and Little A, said in an interview, “With Amazon Original Stories, we are privileged to publish stories and essays from incredible authors, and that includes change makers like Sybrina Fulton. This was Sybrina’s story to tell, but a subject that touches the hearts of millions of moms, parents, and concerned citizens everywhere. Helping Sybrina tell her story was inspiring and at times painful and humbling. I know that readers will feel and take that same level of emotional connection with them as they read and listen to her essay, and hopefully finish feeling inspired to go out and create positive change for their communities too.”

Fulton told New York magazine of her life prior to her son’s death, “Before I lost Trayvon, I can tell you I was living just a regular life. I had not been to a march at all. I’m not telling people, you know, that ‘Oh, I’ve been this community activist all my life.’ No, I have not,” and advised readers, “Don’t wait till it comes to your front door, like I did.”

Asked by Essence for advice for others dealing with grief, Fulton said, “Through this senseless gun violence, I started to reach out to other mothers to [grieve with them], to encourage them, and I ended up ministering to myself as much as these mothers. You have to uplift yourself. You have to get back up when you fall down. A lot of the time, we look to other people to do that for us, which is good, but sometimes we need to learn how to cover ourselves and be resilient.”