A gentle, soft-spoken giant, the father of Trayvon Martin cleans stain off son’s image with a talk at PA college.
—
Last Saturday, February 28th, the state of Pennsylvania welcomed a special visitor. He was a man, and he attracted every major news station in the area to the campus of Arcadia University, where a sold out crowd awaited his arrival.
The guest of honor I’m referring to is none other than Mr. Tracy Martin, the father of slain Florida teen, Mr. Trayvon Martin. His appearance – an effort organized by Arcadia University, the Black Male Development Symposium, and Mission, Inc – was a part of an event called Letters to Trayvon, an evening featuring teenagers reading the letter they wrote to his son.
Mr. Martin exited the elevator, as I was standing upstairs chatting with Mr. Michael Deshield, the first place winner of the letter writing contest, and walked over to where we were. I wasn’t prepared for how quiet he was; for the heartbreaking pain behind his gracious smile, and certainly not for how engaged he became with the young people who took the time to write letters to his late son. That was my first clue that he wasn’t an absent dad, as reported by the media.
Mr. Martin stretched his hand to me in greeting and when we connected my chest felt compressed with grief; it was all I could do to have a conversation with him. He held my hand tightly, as if to convey that it’s okay, and allowed me to express from my heart as a parent to his, which he fully received.
In the larger room downstairs, there was a man in chains standing behind prison bars talking about life in jail -he had everyone captivated. There was also a beautiful display of photographs of black women and their sons, presented by photographer, Ms. Denise Allen.
When Mr. Martin sat down with radio host and Author, Mr. Solomon Jones, for a candid discussion, I don’t think any of us in the audience were ready for what we heard. You see, the media painted a picture of a young thug who his mother deemed unmanageable, was suspended from school, and was part of a gang.
We learned from Mr. Martin that his son was an average teen who loved sports, had never been arrested, was suspended over a book bag in school and was not in gang, a stark difference from what was pounded into our psyches for years.
When we learned that Mr. Martin’s kitchen caught on fire when Trayvon was nine, and it was Trayvon that dragged him out the door and saved his life because he was so badly burned he could not walk – I sat back in my chair non pulsed.
Mr. Martin said Trayvon was his hero and the biggest regret he now lives with is that while his son saved his life, he was not able to save his in return and protect him from this crazy world.
He confirmed what I suspected when he said that he was so involved in his children’s lives and around so much, that his ex-wife found it hard to keep a relationship – we all chuckled… it warmed my heart.
Mr. Martin, whose been employed as a truck driver in the same company for sixteen years, doesn’t accept money for attending these events, he just wants to inspire others, while telling his truths about his hero, Trayvon.
Far too many parents have lost their children to violence and I will hug mine a little harder when I see them, engage and listen more to them and pray for grace and peace like every other parent who has children.
Mr. Martin is cleaning the stain off his son’s image, one conversation at a time. God bless him.