By Alexandra Brodsky • @azbrodsky • 10 years ago

Dream Defenders take Florida Capitol, meet with Gov. Scott

In the wake of George Zimmerman’s acquittal, the Dream Defenders–a student collective of young people of color–has taken to the Florida Capitol. The group began their occupation on Tuesday, demanding the passage of the Trayvon Martin Act. According to Colorlines, “the bill would address racial profiling, ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws and school-to-prison pipeline issues  — ‘the three pillars that led to George Zimmerman getting away with killing Trayvon Martin,’ said Dream Defender Philip Agnew on a media call.”

Despite Scott’s stated refusal to reverse “Stand Your Ground,” the Governor agreed to meet with protesters after they took over his office. The Dreamers won’t be backing down anytime soon, though: in a statement released after the meeting, the group promised not to leave the Capitol until Scott calls a special legislative session on the Trayvon Martin Act. We’ll keep you updated, and remember to check out the Dream Defenders’ blog and Twitter for announcements.

Washington, DC

Alexandra Brodsky was a senior editor at Feministing.com. During her four years at the site, she wrote about gender violence, reproductive justice, and education equity and ran the site's book review column. She is now a Skadden Fellow at the National Women's Law Center and also serves as the Board Chair of Know Your IX, a national student-led movement to end gender violence, which she co-founded and previously co-directed. Alexandra has written for publications including the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Guardian, and the Nation, and she is the co-editor of The Feminist Utopia Project: 57 Visions of a Wildly Better Future. She has spoken about violence against women and reproductive justice at campuses across the country and on MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, ESPN, and NPR.

Alexandra Brodsky was a senior editor at Feministing.com.

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