Crime

OP-ED: One Million Call for Federal Charges Against Zimmerman

Published

13 years ago

July 19, 2013

Oakland Post

One Million Call for Federal Charges Against Zimmerman

By Benjamin Todd Jealous

One million people.

As of Tuesday morning, one million people have signed an NAACP petition asking the Department of Justice to pursue federal and civil rights charges against George Zimmerman after he was founded not guilty in the murder of Trayvon Martin.

I knew I was not alone in my outrage, anger, and heartbreak over this decision. When a teenager’s life is taken, and there is no accountability for the man who killed him, nothing seems right in the world.

But we cannot let these emotions rule us. Instead, in these most challenging of times, we are called to act. That begins with the pursuit of justice for Trayvon Martin, and it continues with a comprehensive campaign to fight the underlying problems factors that led to his death.

The first step is clear: we must make sure that George Zimmerman is held accountable for his actions. The jury’s decision must be respected and the rule of law upheld, but that does not mean the investigation should be considered complete.

The trial judge’s decision to discount debate about race or racial profiling in the courtroom leaves open questions about Zimmerman’s motivation and intent.

The Department of Justice has the power to investigate whether Zimmerman’s actions constitute a hate crime under federal law. The Department has closely monitored the case since March, and only put their investigation on hold to respect the state’s trial. Since the verdict and the overwhelming response, Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to re-open his investigation.

As he told the Delta Sigma Theta convention this week, “We are determined to meet division and confusion with understanding and compassion – and also with truth.”

This is the power of one million voices. One voice in angry protest can be ignored, but when one million people speak as one – and thousands more take to the street in peaceful protest, rallies and vigils – we can change the world.

So what comes next? As we closely follow the Department of Justice’s investigation, we must continue to draw on our collective outrage and refuse to let the memory of Trayvon Martin fade from the hearts and minds of the nation.

Trayvon Martin’s death did not occur in a vacuum. Ours was supposed to be the first generation of black Americans to be judged not by our race or the color of our skin. Instead, we find ourselves to be the most murdered generation in the country and the most incarcerated on the planet.

Meanwhile, racial profiling continues to rear its ugly head in law enforcement and civilian life alike.

At this moment we have a chance to address some of these societal ills. We have a chance to challenge racial profiling in all its forms, and to fight the underlying cause of violence in our communities – by the good guys and bad guys alike.

This last year we have already changed the world. Not a single state in the continental United States has passed a “stand your ground” law in 2013 – the first time in eight years. And last month the New York City Council passed a strong bill banning the racially abusive practice of “stop and frisk” policing, after hundreds of thousands of people protested in the name of Trayvon.

We have a choice. We can be felled by our sorrows over the jury’s decision. Or we can turn our frustration into action. We will demand the Department of Justice address the travesties of this tragedy. We will advance our movement to end racial profiling in America.

And with one million people at our back, we will make sure that the memory Trayvon Martin never fades from the hearts and minds of this nation.

Sign the NAACP’s petition at www.naacp.org

Ben Jealous is president/CEO of the NAACP.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

Published

9 minutes ago

August 15, 2026

Oakland Post

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Crime

Congresswoman Simon Demands Investigation into Trump’s Abuse of Emergency Powers for Coal Export Terminal in West Oakland

POST NEWS GROUP — Last week, in a letter to the GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, Simon and her colleagues questioned the Department of Energy’s plan to use up to $425 million in DPA funds to support coal-fired power plants and construct the West Gateway Terminal Project in Oakland.

Published

6 days ago

August 9, 2026

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‘No On Coal’ demonstrators protest the use of the Port of Oakland as a terminal to ship coal overseas. File photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) joined California senators and other members of the California delegation to Congress to call on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Trump administration’s use of the Defense Production Act and other taxpayer funds to support coal projects, including the proposed coal export terminal in West Oakland.

Defense Production Act funding is for national defense emergencies, such as authorizing private car companies to build parts for tanks or ships.

Since President Donald Trump’s June 4 announcement of $75 million in funding for the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, Simon has opposed and worked to stop the proposed coal terminal.

She filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that would have prohibited funding for the proposed Oakland coal export terminal project; however, House Republicans blocked the amendment.

Last week, in a letter to the GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, Simon and her colleagues questioned the Department of Energy’s plan to use up to $425 million in DPA funds to support coal-fired power plants and construct the West Gateway Terminal Project in Oakland.

This terminal project would primarily serve foreign commercial markets, rather than meet national emergency needs.

“The Defense Production Act was intended to scale up domestic industrial capabilities to meet urgent military or national emergency needs; therefore, its invocation to construct a commercial, civilian export facility intended primarily to serve foreign commercial markets raises profound statutory, legal, and fiscal questions,” wrote the lawmakers, which included Senators Alex Padilla (D) and Adam Schiff (D), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Reps. John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17).

“We do not believe this satisfies the statutory definition of ‘national defense’ or ‘critical infrastructure protection’ under the DPA and that there is no legally sufficient, data-driven nexus between civilian coal exports and immediate U.S. military readiness or critical infrastructure defense,” the lawmakers’ letter said.

DPA funds are intended for U.S. national security and defense readiness. The Trump administration is instead diverting these funds to support a commercial export project that primarily benefits private industries and foreign markets in East Asia.

“Congress has never appropriated funds to the DOE’s DPA account with the intent of propping up a dying industry or financing a purely commercial project,” continued the lawmakers. “We are deeply concerned that DOE has improperly diverted funds from accounts intended by Congress for the critical modernization and resilience support of our nation’s grid to instead finance a commercial fossil fuel export project.”

Simon and colleagues also raised concerns that the Trump administration has improperly diverted funds designated for critical grid modernization and may be using emergency authorities to circumvent local environmental protections.

“With no clear national security nexus, we question whether the DOE utilized emergency DPA authorities with the intent of preempting or subverting valid local health ordinances and environmental regulations. If so, this would be a gross departure from the intent of the DPA,” concluded the lawmakers.

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Community

Rep. Kamlager Dove Demands Care, Justice for Man Shot by ICE

POST NEWS GROUP — According to Kamlager-Dove, Parias was shot near his elbow by ICE during an encounter in October. She said he received initial treatment at a hospital but has not received proper medical care since being transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in December.

Published

6 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide immediate medical care to a constituent she says has been denied treatment after being shot by ICE officers last year.

Speaking on the House floor, Kamlager-Dove urged ICE to provide urgent care for Carlitos Ricardo Parias, describing him as a father, husband and community volunteer who was recognized by his local city council for his service.

According to Kamlager-Dove, Parias was shot near his elbow by ICE during an encounter in October. She said he received initial treatment at a hospital but has not received proper medical care since being transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in December.

The congresswoman said she visited Parias in late May and found his condition had worsened. She said his hand had turned purple, his fingers had become atrophied, and he was suffering from headaches and persistent nerve pain.

“I am worried that he may have a bone infection, and that his arm could be amputated,” said Kamlager-Dove during her remarks.

Kamlager-Dove said Parias’ case highlights broader concerns about medical care at the Adelanto detention facility. She noted that a federal judge recently ordered sweeping changes to improve conditions for detainees.

“It is time for ICE to comply with this judge’s orders and end this cruelty at Adelanto and nationwide,” she said.

ICE has not publicly responded to the allegations raised during Kamlager-Dove’s House floor speech. The congresswoman urged the agency to provide Parias with immediate medical treatment while implementing the court-ordered reforms at the Adelanto facility.