To: Governor Ron DeSantis

Gov. Scott: Prove Your Commitment to the Youth with the 'Trayvon's Law

Governor Rick Scott,

The death of Trayvon Martin and subsequent acquittal of his killer have exposed an unfortunate culture of the targeting and criminalization of young people of color in Florida.

We demand a 'Trayvon Martin Act'. We demand that you call a special session of the Florida legislature to address the issues at the center of the Trayvon Martin tragedy: stand your ground vigilantism, racial profiling and a war on youth that paints us as criminals and funnels us out of schools and into jails.

Why is this important?

We honor the memory of Trayvon Martin and pay respects to his family. This tragedy serves as a vivid reminder of the pain felt by youth in their communities, in which they are profiled, criminalized and targeted. Unless we take action nothing will change. The Zimmerman verdict showed the world that Florida has no value for the life of its children.

We have been engaged in a peaceful sit-in of the Governor Rick Scott's office in the State Capitol since Tuesday, July 16 demanding that he call a special session of the legislature to deal with these issues. After three days of waiting and sleeping on the Capitol floor while the Governor traveled around the country and state, he finally agreed to meet with us on Thursday, July 18th. Unfortunately, when the Governor finally met with a contingent from the group, he failed to rise to the occasion. Rather than using his considerable power to create change, he told us he would call for a statewide day of prayer to end racial profiling. We feel he has to do much more.

This is an opportunity for Governor Rick Scott and the Florida legislature to show leadership prove their commitment to the next generation of Floridians.