Violence against Individuals and Communities: Reflecting on the Trayvon Martin Case - An Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

In February 2012, Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. The incident and subsequent police response, or lack thereof, resulted in debate, controversy and outrage regarding the role that racial bias may have played in this incident. Although there were many individuals who mourned the death of Trayvon Martin, the perception of this as a racially based incident was clearly discrepant between white individuals and communities of color. In the midst of this mourning and debate, psychologists and counselors responded as community members, professionals and researchers. This special issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology was initiated in March 2012, as a forum for counselors and psychologists to voice the impact of this and similar incidents as well as to propose social action that we can take as professionals to prevent and respond to hate related violence. This article provides a foundation and overview for the special issue.