Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, has officially qualified to run for public office in Florida. On Monday, she announced her qualification to run for Miami Dade County Commissioner for District 1.
Fulton lost her 17-year-old son to racial violence in 2012, when he was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. She has since been an active advocate for gun control, forming the Trayvon Martin Foundation and Circle of Mothers, to empower and bring together mothers who have lost children to gun violence. Fulton has traveled the country, delivering powerful speeches about the injustices faced by the Black community and has been a leading voice on gun violence prevention.
Fulton is a part of Mothers of the Movement, a group of women whose African American children have been killed by gun violence. She joins two fellow mothers in running for public office. Both Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, ran for office after they lost their sons to racially motivated gun violence.
During her campaign launch in 2019, Fulton’s campaign manager shared her plan to prioritize gun violence prevention. Other focuses will include economic opportunity, housing affordability, and transportation, according to her campaign website.
She has already received some high-profile endorsements, including from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Fulton received fundraising help from Clinton, who recently held a virtual fundraiser for her.
Fulton is running against her hometown mayor, Oliver G. Gilbert III. The commissioner seat will become vacant this year, as term limits require the current commissioner to step down. Fulton’s campaign manager said the vacancy comes at the right time and gives Fulton the opportunity to merge her skills as a county employee and advocate for justice.
Sources: The Hill 6/10/20; HuffPost 6/9/20; Washington Post 5/20/19; Sybrina Fulton for Miami-Dade County Commission 2020
