Chanting At Trayvon Martin March & Rally In Sanford, Florida

Edited by Azizi Powell

[Update: 4/4/2012]

Trayvon Martin, The people of Sanford protested and marched for justice.



Uploaded by Oufinc on Mar 21, 2012

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This post documents the types of chants that were used by marchers at a Trayvon Martin rally in Sanford, Florida on March 20, 2012. This post can be considered as a companion piece to two previous posts on this blog about chanting during Trayvon Martin Rallies. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-million.html and http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-million_24.html for those posts.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Information about Trayvon Martin's death from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin:

The shooting of Trayvon Martin took place on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon Martin was an African American teenager who was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a man of mixed ethnicity (Latino and white American Martin, who was unarmed, had been walking to the home of his father's girlfriend from a convenience store when Zimmerman, a community watch captain, followed him after calling the Sanford Police Department, saying he witnessed what he described as suspicious behavior. Soon afterward, he fatally shot Martin.

**
Information about the Sanford, Florida Rally (March 20, 2012) from http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/2715797/trayvon-martins-death-galvanizes.html:
"Rallies and marches have been held from coast to coast. Students, some dressed in all black, have walked out of classes en masse throughout Miami-Dade County. Celebrities and NBA athletes have adopted the cause. In Sanford, some estimates say as many as 30,000 people showed up at a rally last week –in a town of just 50,000. Even the white Republican mayor joined in predominately black events to denounce the killing, demand a review and begin the healing. More than 2 million people have signed an online petition and more than 400 people have donated money to help the family pay expenses..."

The lack of arrest and an investigation that was widely portrayed as bungled from the start, resonated on Twitter and on the streets, [Rev Al Sharpton] said.

“When nothing happened, no arrest and police give contradictory statements, people saw themselves as completely vulnerable,” Sharpton said. “It’s like, ‘now you’re just saying it’s open season on us.’ ”

...Miami’s Campbell isn’t so optimistic. He believes the protesters are wasting their time and that the news will fade.

They are not going to change anything,” Campbell said. “That’s just the way it is for black folks in America.”

But Trayvon’s family is hopeful, convinced the movement will at least help overturn Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law, and force legislation to regulate community watch volunteers. They are expected to speak Tuesday with House Democrats who are holding a forum on federal issues related to the case.

“This movement, watching the people of this movement, keeps me going,” Trayvon’s father, Tracy Martin, said Sunday night. “Trayvon’s name will be etched in stone. Long after this movement is over, people will remember Trayvon Martin.”"

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Trayvon Martin, The people of Sanford protested and marched for justice.

http://www.oufinc.com/default.html

http://orlandounityfestival.com/

"People coming together as one once again to demand equal rights and justice for the wrongful death of Trayvon Martin. This is one of many rallies to take place until justice is served. The over flowing crowd filled the streets and then marched to the Sanford Police Department Headquarters. The shooter George Zimmerman has not been charged as of yet and his whereabouts is unknown."
-snip-
In this video many vehicle drivers can be heard honking their horns in support of the marchers. It is quite common in the United States to for protestors to stand on street corners holding a sign saying "Honk" in support of their specific cause or concern.

Also note that this video includes music as backdrop. That music wasn't part of that protest march.

**
Video #2: Trayvon Martin the Rally in Sanford Florida for Justice, Peace, Unity, and Equality on 3/22/2012



Uploaded by Oufinc on Mar 24, 2012

http://www.oufinc.com/default.html

http://orlandounityfestival.com/
-snip-
Editor:
This video's uploader wrote a long comment about what he or she believes is the Sanford, Florida Police Department's history of unfair treatment of Black people. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXWsBl3a2E&feature=relmfu to read that statement.]

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COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHANTS USED IN TRAYVON MARTIN RALLIES
Most of the chants & signage used in the Sanford, Florida march (March 20, 2012) was also used in the New York City Million Hoodie March (March 22, 2012). While I haven't studied chanting and signage in other Trayvon Martin marches which have been held throughout the United States, I believe that it's reasonable to assume that the chants & signage used in each of those marches are the same as or very similar to those found in the two marches that I have reviewed. Trayvon Martin's mother's filing for trademark protection for the use of her son's name on merchandise serves to corroborate that at least two of those chants are being widely used:

From http://gma.yahoo.com/trayvon-martin-investigator-wanted-manslaughter-charge-151838720--abc-news-topstories.html
"[Trayvon] Martin's mother has moved to trademark two popular rallying cries, "I am Trayvon" and "Justice for Trayvon." The family said it does not want want other people printing memorabilia.

"Sybrina Fulton has no desire to profit from her son's death, but wants to protect her son's name legacy," said family representative Ryan Julison."

Here's another link about Ms. Fulton's seeking trademark protection for those two slogans:
http://news.yahoo.com/trayvon-inc-fla-teens-case-turns-brand-193105131.html

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EXAMPLES OF CHANTS
This list of chants used in the March 20, 2012 Sanford, Florida march (as per the video above) is given in alphabetical order. The response portion of call & response chants is given in parenthesis, and the type of chant is given in brackets:

I'm also including my sense of what these chants/slogans mean.

1. Chief fire the police!
[rhyming chant]

I'm not sure that I've correctly transcribed this chant. The video includes this notation about the portion near the beginning of this video when that chant is heard "Protestors demanding that the Sanford police chief be fired" (because of the police department's incompetent investigation, including the failure of the police department to adequately gather evidence, and that department's failure to arrest George Zimmerman).

2. Justice for
(Trayvon!)
[a call & response chant]*

* While this slogan/chant was prominently used in the Million Hoodie march as per the videos, articles, and tweets of that march that I reviewed, I didn't get the sense that it was chanted in this call and response manner. However, I could be mistaken about that.

"Justice For Trayvon" is also written on signage in found in that video as "Justice 4 Trayvon".

(The meaning of this chant is self-evident).

3. I AM
(Trayvon Martin!)
[call & response chant]

This slogan/chant as well as chant #7 refer to the fact that any dark skinned teenager or adult could have been the victim of this shooting. Also this chant refers to the belief that an injustice against one person negatively affects the entire community (with "community" here meaning the entire nation, if not the world.

4. No Justice
(No Peace!)
[call & response]

This slogan/chant means that until there is justice in this particular case, there will continue to be protests. This slogan/chant may also have a more generalized meaning that until there is fair and impartial justice for all, there will continue to be protests and advocacy for that goal.

5. We want an arrest!
[unison chant]

This slogan/chant refers to the demand for George Zimmerman to be arrested for killing Trayvon Martin.

6. We want justice.
[unison chant]

The meaning of this slogan/chant is self-evident.

7. We ARE
(Trayvon Martin!)

[call & response chant or a unison chant.]

Read the meaning of this slogan/chant that is written in the entry for chant/slogan #3.

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UPDATE:
Here's an excerpt from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57405188-504083/family-defends-trayvon-martin-amid-claims-he-was-aggressor-in-deadly-confrontation/ which mentions participants at a Georgia rally chanting & singing of the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome":

"Thousands rallied Monday on the steps of the Georgia state capitol. The crowd chanted "I am Trayvon!" and "Arrest Zimmerman now!" The protest ended with the crowd linking hands and singing, "We Shall Overcome."
-snip-
In the 1960s, linking hands became the standard way of singing "We Shall Overcome". That song is an adaptation of the African American Gospel song "We'll Overcome". Click http://cocojams.com/content/african-american-civil-rights-songs for examples of that song.

I've read other reports about "We Shall Overcome" being sung at prayer vigils for Trayvon. Such reports are the only mention of participant group singing (spontaneous or planned) that I've come across at contemporary African American protest rallies or prayer vigils. To clarify, by group singing I mean the protestors singing a song together, not performer/s singing a song while the protestors watch.

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RIP Travon Martin!

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My thanks to all those who peacefully participated in the rallies & marches for Trayvon Martin. My thanks also to the uploaders of these featured videos.

Thanks for visiting this page.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Chanting At The Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March, Part II

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part series on chants used during the March 22, 2012 Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March in New York City, New York. Part II focuses on chants from the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March that were reported in news reports & tweets.

Part I showcases three selected videos of that march and provides text documentation of the chants from those videos. Part I also includes my overview of the structural types of chants used during those marches.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-million.html for Part I of this series.

These posts are provided for their historical, folkloric, educational, and motivational values.

This two part series isn't meant to be a comprehensive report of every chants that was used during the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March. However, I believe that these posts provide a good representation of the themes used for the marches' chants and of the types of chants that were used.

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PART II
SELECTED NEWS REPORTS
[This reports are presented in no ranking order. Italics have been added by me to highlight the chant/s reported]

News Report #1: http://www.theroot.com/buzz/million-hoodie-march-its-about-right-or-wrong
The Million Hoodie March: It's About Right and Wrong

By: Marcia Alesan Dawkins | Posted: March 24, 2012

In a piece for Truth Dig, Marcia Alesan Dawkins writes that while the Million Hoodie March was leaderless, the protesters' demands for justice for Trayvon Martin, combined with their digital footprint, sent a clear message.

Because it was leaderless, the march was very difficult for the NYPD to control. The three crowds diverged and converged several times, and there were moments of running, jumping and evading. Some protesters tore down the barricades surrounding the bull sculpture on Wall Street and climbed on it. But most of the crowd was walking through the fog and talking about how Trayvon Martin’s case is linked to institutional racism. And about how many are seeing the march as “Troy Davis 2.0,” as well as reminders of the tragic cases of Oscar Grant and Wendell Allen. Sometimes protesters shouted at the police and other times they chanted, “Stop stop and frisk!” Or, “Whose streets? Our streets!” Or, “Whose son? Our son!”

-snip-
"Whose streets/our streets" and "Whose son?/our son?" are probably call & response chants.

News Report #2 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/trayvon-martin-million-hoodie-march_n_1371403.html
Trayvon Martin 'Million Hoodie March' March Draws Hundreds In New York City
By DEEPTI HAJELA 03/21/12 11:37 PM ET

NEW YORK — The parents of a black teenager shot to death by a Hispanic neighborhood watch captain in Florida told hundreds of people at a march in his memory on Wednesday that they won't stop until they get justice for him.

"My son did not deserve to die," the teenager's father, Tracy Martin, said after thanking the crowd.

Martin's son, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was killed Feb. 26, in Sanford, Fla. He was returning to a gated community in the city after buying candy at a convenience store. He was unarmed and was wearing a hooded sweat shirt, called a hoodie.

The neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, has not been charged in the shooting. Zimmerman has said the teen attacked him and he shot him in self-defense.

On Wednesday night, demonstrators chanted "we want arrests" during the Million Hoodie March in Manhattan's Union Square.

News Report #3: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/22/million-hoodie-march-in-new-york-rallies-support-for-trayvon-martin/

"Million Hoodie March” in New York Rallies Support for Trayvon Martin

Hundreds marched through the streets of New York to protest the death of the Florida teen.
By Jared T. Miller | @jaredtmiller | March 22, 2012
Supporters chanted “we want arrests!” and “we are all Trayvon” as they marched, many clad in hooded sweatshirts symbolic of the clothing Martin wore when he was killed.

News Report #4: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/million-hoodie-march-takes-union-square-protest-trayvon-martin-murder-article-1.1048522

'Million Hoodie' march takes Union Square in protest of Trayvon Martin's fatal shooting

The demonstrators burst into a chant of “Justice for Trayvon!” as slain Florida teen's parents joined protest
By Edgar Sandoval AND Helen Kennedy / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 8:41 PM
Demonstrators wearing hoodies took turns calling out “Am I suspicious?"

EXCERPTS FROM SELECTED TWEET FEED
http://chirpstory.com/li/5457
A Debate on the #OWS and The #MillionHoodie March for #TrayvonMartin
By drgoddess

The tweets presented below are all of the examples of chants from the New York Million Hoodie March which were posted to the above mentioned tweet feed. With all but one exception that is noted, each of these tweets were posted by "sickjew" on March 21. I've given numbers to these examples for referencing purposes, and I've quoted the chant as it was given on that tweet feed.

Some of these tweets are prefaced by the word "Chants". I've included other tweets without that descriptor because those examples have been documented as chants that have been used in the Million Hoodies march or in other marches.

WARNING: One of the tweets that is featured below contains the beginning letter of a curse word. Also, a number of other tweets in that tweet feed contain profanity.

Editor's Note:
The main rally for the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March in New York City was held in Union Square. That same location has been the site of recent activities of New York City's Occupy Wall Street (OWS), including encounters with the New York City police. A number of the tweeters in the selected tweet feed whose link is given above express the opinion that the New York City Occupy Wall Street activists had their own agendas and attempted to "co-opt" (take over) the Million Hoodies March. According to those tweeters who attended this march, one way that the OWS marchers (or some of the OWS marchers) attempted to take over the Million Hoodies March was by chanting over speakers for the Million Hoodies March. Several tweeters in that feed disagreed with that allegation.

For the purposes of this post, that allegation raises the questions "Were the chants used by the OWS marchers different than the chants used by the Million Hoodies marchers, and if so, how were those chants different? "Which chants documented in the videos, news reports, and that tweet were from OWS and which chants were from Million Hoodies marchers? For example, "Mic Check" is a Occupy Wall Street phrase. That phrase is reported to have been used in the chant "Mic Check. Are you ready to march for Trayvon?" Also, "Which Street? Our Street" sounds like an OWS chant. Was this chant used only by OWS marchers, or was it also used (and maybe even started by) Million Hoodies marchers? And did OWS marchers join in the chant (or even start the chant) "Justice For Trayvon?"

It also should be mentioned that one chant that was noted in that tweet thread (#17 below), is given as an Occupy Wall Street chant. If this chant was said during the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March, did any non-Occupy Wall Street marchers join in that chant? And were the songs that were mentioned as being performed during that Million Hoodies March started and sung by Occupy Wall Street marchers or by Million Hoodies marchers or both? (if indeed there was a difference in that constituency.) I think these are valid questions, but I'm unable to answer them.

Tweet Examples Of Chants:
1. Chant: "We are Trayvon!"

2. Chant: "The people, united, will never be defeated!"

3. We will not be attacked anymore, will we?" "No!" "Will we?" "NO!"

4. Chant: "Enough is enough!"

5. Chant: "We are Trayvon Martin!"

6. Chant: "I am Trayvon Martin!"

7. Chant: "We've gotta beat back the racist attack! We've gotta beat, beat back the racist attack!"

8. Mic check: "Are you ready to march for Trayvon?"

9."No justice, no peace!"

10. "Whose streets? Our streets!"

11."No justice, no peace. Take to the streets and F the police!"

12. Chant: "Get up, get down, there's revolution in this town!"

13.Loud and vocal chants of: "We are Trayvon Martin!"

14. "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!"

15. People singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around, turn me around..."

16. Group with guitar singing "This Little Light of Mine"

17. @luvvieig @huny --> RT @OccupyWallStNYC 1) We are the people. 2) We are united. 3) This Occupation is not leaving! #OWS #UnionSq.
candidreams, March 22, 2012

[I'm assuming this is one chant that has three parts.]

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This concludes this two part series on chants used during New York City's Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-march-rally.html for the related pancocojams post on "Chanting At Trayvon Martin March & Rally In Sanford, Florida".

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My thanks to all those who organized and participated in that march. My prayers go to the family and friends of Trayvon Martin & to the family and friends of others who have died because of racial profiling. May they rest in peace and may we continue to work so that there will be justice without regards to race, or any other descriptors in this nation & in this world.

Thanks for visiting this page.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Chanting At The Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March

Edited by Azizi Powell

Trayvon Martin's parents enter Union Square. ONE MILLION HOODIES March.



Uploaded by kbee on Mar 22, 2012

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This is Part I of a two part series on chants used during the March 22, 2012 Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March in New York City, New York.

Part I of this series showcases three selected videos of that march and provides text documentation of the chants from those videos. Part I also includes my overview of the structural types of chants used during those marches

Part II focuses on chants from the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March that were reported in news reports & tweets. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-million_24.html for Part II of this series.

These posts are provided for their historical, folkloric, educational, and motivational values.

This two part series isn't meant to be a comprehensive report of every chants that was used during the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March. However, I believe that these posts provide a good representation of the themes used for the marches' chants and of the types of chants that were used.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-march-rally.html for the related pancocojams post on "Chanting At Trayvon Martin March & Rally In Sanford, Florida".

My thanks to all those who organized and participated in that march. My thanks also to the video uploaders.

RIP Trayvon Martin, and all others who have died because of racial profiling.

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TYPES OF CHANTS
The participants in the Trayvon Martin Million Hoodies March appeared to use three types of chants. In descending order of usage with #1 being the most often used, it appears to me from my review of a number of videos and news reports, and from reading a long tweet report of that march, that those types of chants used were
1. unison repeating one word or a phrase
Example: "Justice For Trayvon!"

2. call & response repeating a word or words
A person says the first part of the chant, and others respond back to him or her with the second part of the chant.
Example:
Caller- "Tray"
Responders- "Von"

3. unison repeating a rhyming verse
Example: “The cops
The court
The Klu Klux Klan
They all are part of
the Marxist Plan”

I only came across three other examples of a rhyming chant that was reported from this march. Those examples are given in Part II of this series. However, since I have not reviewed every news report, video, or tweet feed about the Million Hoodie March, there may indeed be other examples of rhyming chants that were used during that march.

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SELECTED VIDEOS

Video #1: Trayvon Martin's parents enter Union Square. ONE MILLION HOODIES March.*
This video is posted at the top of this page.

"ONE MILLION HOODIES MARCH. Trayvon Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, enter Union Square in New York to speak to the crowd. 21 March 2012"

*"Hoodies" is a American vernacular referent for a hooded sweatshirt

[Chant – “Justice 4 Trayvon”]

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Video #2: Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin , Reactions - Union Square, New York City



Uploaded by AllThingsHarlem on Mar 22, 2012
Interviews and reactions to the Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin at Union Square, New York City on March 21, 2012.

The turnout for Trayvon Martin was huge. The voices of our youth were loud and clear "we are all Trayvon Martin." We no longer need to feel like lone voices crying in the wilderness, our youth have come, the people are awakening. Death to ignorance and inhumanity!

[Chant: "We Are All Trayvon Martin."]

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Video #3:Trayvon Martin 1,000,000 Hoodies March with The Source



Uploaded by thesourcemagazine1 on Mar 22, 2012

-snip-
Examples of chants in this video:
“We all are one”
[This is sung more than chanted.]

**
"Do I look suspicious?

**
"Do I fit the profile?"

**
"Justice!
(Now!)
Justice!
(Now!)"

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A call & response chant with the response given in parenthesis:
"Tray
(Von!)
Tray
(Von!)"

**
"Justice for Trayvon!"

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This is the end of Part I of this post. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/chanting-at-trayvon-martin-million_24.html for Part II of this series.

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My prayers go to the family and friends of Trayvon Martin & to the family and friends of others who have died because of racial profiling.

Thank you for visiting this page.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Autumn Colbert - A Poem For Trayvon Martin

Edited by Azizi Powell

A Poem For Trayvon Martin



Uploaded by ThePrettyyoungthing on Mar 21, 2012

"Dedicated to Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Emmett Till and others like them...killed innocently."

-snip-

IT'S NOT OKAY: A POEM FOR TRAYVON
(Written by Autumn)*

There's no justice
For the mother that buries her son
Before his eighteenth birthday.
Tear stained cheeks
Hold lifeless body
Wondering how that day could have
gone differently.

Black mothers wonder how to protect
their sons from their own innocence,
Merely being themselves
Walking, Skittles and ice tea in tow.
"Suspicious" they say.
It is NOT okay.

From Trayvon Martin,
Emmitt Till to Oscar Grant,
Sean Bell killed just
Before his wedding day
No amount of time or reasoning
Can wipe that hate away.

Black skin becomes target practice
For those looking to sharpen
Their marksmen skills
Lifes are valued less than that of animals.
Society outcries dog fighting over
Fighting bullets.
Pinned to the ground yelling "Help!"
And everyone hears
But no one is there to stop it.

"Suspicious" they say
It is NOT okay.
To be let free the next day.
To be considered a hero in your community
for a vile display.

"Suspicious" they say?
It is not okay.
Our sons die by the minute
And we think justice has been won?
We have just begun
the fight for freedom and equality
For Trayvon, for Oscar, for Sean, for Emmitt
and the list goes on.

We must fight for justice
As if it were our own son
Till black blood isn't shed on concrete
Till Black boys aren't hunted like game
Till Black mothers have to no longer
bury our brothers
Till we rise and realize that we need each other
To fight till our lifes begin
To reflect the beauty
In which we see each other
Till our time here isn't spent fighting
For what we were given freely...Life -
Till we no longer have another night like tonight.
We must fight
For Trayvon
For Oscar
For Sean
For Emmitt
And for Rodney.

-written by Autumn Colbert; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOweqZvDVZA

Transcription by Azizi Powell

This dedication appeared in print at the end of the poem's recitation:
"Dedicated to Trayvon Martin and others who lost their lives due to racial profiling and hate.

May we keep fighting in the name of justice."

-snip-

*The poet (Autumn Colbert) resides in Baltimore, MD. You can follow her on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/autumncolbert or visit her reverbnation page at: http://www.reverbnation.com/autumnc.

I appreciate being able to share Ms. Colbert's powerful poem with others via this post.

RELATED LINKS
With the exception of Rodney [King], the poem refers to Black males who were slained because of racial profiling.

Here are links to information about the Black males mentioned in this poem:
Trayvon Martin http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-case-timeline-of-events/

**
Oscar Grant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BART_Police_shooting_of_Oscar_Grant

**
Emmit Till
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till

**
Sean Bell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Bell_shooting_incident

**
Rodney King
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King

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My thanks to the Autumn for sharing her poem. I cosign her dedication - RIP Trayvon, Oscar, Sean, and Emmitt and all those who died because of racism.

Thanks for visiting this page.

Viewer comments are welcome!