KEVIN POWELL: TRAYVON MARTIN RALLIES AND MARCH IN NEW YORK CITY ON SUNDAY

A STATEMENT BY KEVIN POWELL, PRESIDENT OF BK NATION:

“What I helped to organize and participated in yesterday was beautiful. A large and very diverse group of people, all races, all cultures, all ages, together because we believe in justice and real democracy. BK Nation, our organization, led one of the many rallies at Union Square, then we had a talkback/teach-in so people could speak, vent, and also know how serious we are about action steps. No more marches and rallies with no purpose, no agenda, no action steps. That was our mandate the entire day. Enough of that, for that is madness to gather people then do nothing else, say nothing else but fire people up. The fact that the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s murder could bring so many kinds of folks together says to me what is possible for real movements for change in this country. The leadership we are waiting for is us. We just have to get involved in our communities wherever we are and be willing to read, study, learn, grow, and work for that change. Nothing comes to anyone who sits on the sidelines forever. Nothing. Let’s channel that anger, that passion, that energy. For the sake of ourselves, for the sake of of this country and this planet, for the sake of the future. There were thousands of us first at Union Square, then at Times Square, where we literally stopped the biggest tourist destination in New York City from moving. Then hundreds of us continued the march of over 100 New York City blocks to Harlem, through some of Manhattan’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Once in Harlem people joined us as we weaved around streets and avenues and in and out housing projects along the way. People joined us, supported us, applauded us for taking a stand for justice. The most beautiful thing were all the young people who made much of it happen, even as some got arrested along the way. One younger man, an actor, said this to me: “Trayvon is dead. If I get arrested, it is for Trayvon.” He later did, his first arrest ever. For justice. This is what democracy looks like. The people make it happen. No one else.” @kevin_powell @bknationorg