Trayvon Martin’s Dad Says Son Would Have Been Moved, Thanks Miami Heat

As celebrities across the country weigh in on the death of Trayvon Martin, it seems so sad that the boy himself can’t see how many people his death touched- a point not lost on Trayvon’s dad, Tracy Martin.

Celebrities from Will Smith to Spike Lee to Michael Moore and even President Barack Obama all spoke out about their horror upon learning of the circumstances surrounding Trayvon’s death, and the failure of Sanford police to arrest the man who shot the teen. Athletes have also honored Trayvon, with the Miami Heat gathering to pose for a group shot with their hoodies up– a nod to the statements made that Trayvon’s hoodie (commonly worn by Americans spanning all ages, races and classes) was somehow responsible for his murder.

It seems that the uniting factor in the outpouring of grief and frustration at Trayvon’s death is a point oft-repeated when notable figures and everyday people alike talk about the Trayvon Martin case- namely, that if you are a parent, it is impossible not to see your own child in Trayvon’s smiling face. (A sign seen at a recent rally read, “I’m Trayvon Martin’s mom, too.)

The idea that your practically grown son- with all his ambitions and struggles and just on the cusp of becoming a man- could walk out the door and never return is terrifying, and I think the other side is that it’s painful for most parents to even consider what Trayvon’s mother and father must feel right now. But both have been vocal, fighting for George Zimmerman’s arrest a full month after the February 26th shooting.

Trayvon’s dad Tracy Martin acknowledged the Heat’s efforts in shining a light on the injustice, and it appears the efforts have given the Martin family some comfort in the period following the loss of their son:

“I saw a post that D-Wade had saying, ‘I am Trayvon Martin.’ To see all these athletes put Trayvon in the same sentence with them, it feels real good. Trayvon was an excellent athlete and if he could hear them saying his name, he would be so moved by it.”

Martin also said:

“These athletes are saying, ‘It’s not about who I am. It’s about right and wrong.’ It’s like everybody’s taking notice. The Miami Heat came out in their hoodies, and that’s just saying, ‘We are people, we have hearts, we have feelings, we have emotions.’ That’s a warm feeling. The sports world has embraced this big-time.”

Across Twitter and Facebook, many users have pledged to wear hoodies on Monday, dubbing it “National Hoodie Day,” in protest of a lack of arrest in the Trayvon Martin case.