Zimmerman acquittal helps spark Black Lives Matter organizing

A Florida jury acquits George Zimmerman on July 13, 2013, in the killing of Trayvon Martin. The verdict prompts protests and a national debate over racial profiling, self-defense law, and whether the legal system protects Black victims. In the aftermath, Alicia Garza writes "Black lives matter" in a public post, and Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi help turn the phrase into a broader organizing network. A criminal verdict becomes a catalyst for one of the most important racial justice movements of the twenty-first century.