Mychal Denzel Smith: Why George Zimmerman’s Acquittal Has Everything to Do With Race

Mychal Denzel Smith: Why George Zimmerman’s Acquittal Has Everything to Do With Race

Mychal Denzel Smith: Why George Zimmerman’s Acquittal Has Everything to Do With Race

After the decision, protesters took to the streets to demand justice for the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

On Saturday, George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in the death of Trayvon Martin. The verdict has elicited a strong response, with protesters taking to the streets in cities across the United States to demand justice for the killing of an unarmed 17-year-old boy. 

Nation contributor Mychal Denzel Smith joins MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki, along with Maya Wiley, civil rights attorney; Joy Reid, managing editor of The Grio; and Seema Iyer, former prosecutor and defense attorney, to mourn the crises in our system of justice that led to this outcome and to call out the defense team, not only for their tactics in the trial but also their tone in its aftermath.

—Jake Scobey-Thal

White supremacy acquits George Zimmerman.

Thank you for reading The Nation!

We hope you enjoyed the story you just read, just one of the many incisive, deeply-reported articles we publish daily. Now more than ever, we need fearless journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media.

Throughout this critical election year and a time of media austerity and renewed campus activism and rising labor organizing, independent journalism that gets to the heart of the matter is more critical than ever before. Donate right now and help us hold the powerful accountable, shine a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug, and build a more just and equitable future.

For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth, justice, and moral clarity. As a reader-supported publication, we are not beholden to the whims of advertisers or a corporate owner. But it does take financial resources to report on stories that may take weeks or months to properly investigate, thoroughly edit and fact-check articles, and get our stories into the hands of readers.

Donate today and stand with us for a better future. Thank you for being a supporter of independent journalism.

Thank you for your generosity.

Ad Policy
x