On January 15th, Martin Luther King Day, students gathered in the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex. Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, traveled through the bitter weather to speak to the GCCC students and community. The assembly began with the congratulation of the Community Impact Honoree Award winner to the late Tommy Lou Austin. Austin, a Garden City Native highly supported local services and participated in advocacy groups such as African-American Coalition and Family Crisis. Following a thank you speech from Aaron Austin, the son of Tommy Lou Austin, Fulton began the speech simply asking the timid audience to breathe and relax. Fulton’s approach to easing tensions of watching students allowed her to connect emotionally and speak to the now more comfortable students. Fulton spoke, “We Are All Trayvon & From Pain to Purpose: The Time is Now to Own Democracy.” After the tragic death of Trayvon Martin more than a decade ago, his name has become a symbol for recent social activism. The devastating death of Trayvon, a boy simply walking home in a hoodie in a small town in Florida, has propelled Fulton to speak to crowds of young people to invoke social change.

“Everybody is entitled to respect,” Fulton said.  Relating to the late Martin Luther King, Fulton strove to share his message that all people are the same and should be gauged by the content of their hearts. Fulton desires most that students after the conclusion of her speech realize that adversities are inevitable, it is how we as people react and handle those adversities that make us uncommon. 

“It is how you handle your adversities after your storm that makes you special,” Fulton said. “There is always sunshine after the storm, you have to look at life like that.” 

Fulton impels students to not only work on social change inwardly but to reach out to others to make a difference. 

“A lot of times we are not advocates,” Fulton said. “Because of what happened to my son, I chose not to keep my passion for him. I chose to be a voice for him. I hope others reflect that same passion.” Garden City Community College succeeded the assembly with many thanks and photos in gratitude of Fulton. Her words will leave a lasting impact on the students and community blessed to have the opportunity to listen. 

Support the Trayvon Martin Foundation at https://www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org/ . 

Following the assembly, SGA plans to hold multiple MLK-related events on campus for the remainder of the week (15-19). These events include: Tuesday, trivia night in the portico, Wednesday, all-day history in the library with coffee and tea available, Thursday, “I have a dream” photo both and activities in the library, and Friday, an open mic night at the KCB Bank Auditorium at 6:30 pm.