MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Saturday marks 10 years since Trayvon Martin was shot and killed, but for his mother, Sybrina Fulton, she chooses a different day in February to celebrate her son’s life and legacy.
And she is helping other mothers who know her pain all too well.
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CBS4’s Lauren Pastrana sat down with Fulton for a one-on-one interview.
Here is part of their conversation:
Sybrina Fulton: “Trayvon was a mama’s boy. So he was very loveable. Very affectionate. Very family-oriented. He loved kids because I love kids. I love babies. Toddlers and little people. And so did he. Both my boys do. I just think about him and the memories, the good memories. That’s going to last me a lifetime.”
Lauren Pastrana: “A lot of people associate Trayvon with, unfortunately, February 26th, but for you, you met him on February 5th. His birthday. Your giving birthday. I always say that as a mother, it’s a moment for us as well. On that day, all these years later, what do you do to remember him?”
Fulton: “We had the Trayvon Martin Foundation Peace Walk on his birthday this year the 10th year. And so we celebrated. We celebrate his birth. We don’t celebrate his death so a lot of people look for me for February the 26th and I’m not around. I don’t know what type of mood I’m going to be in. But definitely on his birthday, it’s a time to rejoice. To reflect. A time to think about memories. A time to think about his memory. So we do a peace walk. Because we truly believe that Trayvon had the right to walk in peace without being followed, chased, pursued and killed.”
Pastrana: “When did you realize that your son’s life would leave a lasting impact on society?”
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Fulton: “I believe people were sick and tired of people shot and killed and nobody being held accountable. It wasn’t the first time it happened. But I think people were just fed up with it continuing to happen. So they wanted to be a part of it. They wanted to voice their distaste for what was going on in America with all the hatred and everything with people being shot and killed and people passing judgment and I think that’s what really united or reunited the country. They wanted to do something. They created the Black Lives Matter. They created the Dream Defenders. They created different organizations to try to decrease some of the hatred and just bring awareness to social justice.”
Pastrana: “The video that was so powerful for so many was hearing George Floyd in his final moments calling out for his mother… As a mom, do you reach out to any of these families and if so, what do you say to them in these moments of pain?”
Fulton: “Definitely. I have an organization, the Trayvon Martin Foundation and we have a component of the Trayvon Martin Foundation called the Circle of Mothers. And through the Circle of Mothers, I’m able to reach out to those families… Every year I speak and I speak about them learning what their new normal is and how are you going to move forward. It’s one thing to fall down. But how are you going to get back up? That’s the ultimate. You can stay down there and say well I lost my son I lost my daughter and people are going to understand why you’re down. But eventually, you have to get back up. Because if you don’t, then you lost your child and your life is gone because you’re gonna stay down. I try to encourage them and relate to them and tell them some of the things that I did. One of the things that I did was meeting with other mothers. And when I started meeting with other mothers it took the pressure off of what I was going through.”
Pastrana: “I was scrolling through your social media and you had some quotes. Some of the things you post are inspirational quotes and I have to say I moved by them and I took some screen grabs… It says “Someone said, ‘Because I carry it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy.’ I felt that.” Do you feel that?”
Fulton: “I absolutely feel that. I feel that when I’m in a room with a mom and she’s lost a child and she says I know how you feel. I feel that. It’s a certain sisterhood with moms who have lost a child, that unfortunately, we can feel each other’s pain. It’s amazing how the support is real. And how we stick together and bond together and try to heal one another.”
Pastrana: “Has this become your life’s work?”
Fulton: “This is work I’m very passionate about because of what happened to my son. I want to be the voice for my son. I want to make sure as many people know as terrible as gun violence is. It’s not just a story for us. It’s a tragedy and we have to carry it the rest of our lives.”
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To see my interview with Sybrina Fulton, be sure to watch our CBS 4 News Special “Trayvon Martin: 10 Years Later” Saturday night at 9, streaming on CBS News Miami on the CBS News app or on PlutoTV.
