Dream Defenders to draft ‘Trayvon’s Law’ legislation from halls of Florida’s state capitol

theGRIO REPORT - After drafting Trayvon’s Law, the Dream Defenders plan to register Florida voters in support of their proposals and present their ideas to committee meetings of the Florida Legislature in September...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Conversely, Trayvon’s Law advocates for a full repeal of Stand Your Ground, not a revision of the law.

“We need an aggressive stance against Stand Your Ground, otherwise we would be dishonest with ourselves,” said Agnew. “If we come out advocating for reform, we get no movement. It results in a bad deal with devastating consequences for our youth.”

Columbia University professor Dorian Warren, a Roosevelt Institute fellow who studies inequality in American politics, agrees.

“I think the stronger the movement demand, the more successful, especially if it inevitably gets watered down in the political process,” Warren told theGrio. “This is the moment to educate a whole new generation of young activists and mobilize thousands of people while the energy and emotions are high.”

Agnew urges immediate action based on the common ground of achieving justice for Trayvon, while respecting other approaches.

The Trayvon Martin Foundation is not affiliated with the Dream Defenders, and did not respond to requests for comment about the organization in time for publication.

Next steps for the Dream Defenders

After drafting Trayvon’s Law, the Dream Defenders plan to register Florida voters in support of their proposals and present their ideas to committee meetings of the Florida Legislature in September.

Agnew and dozens of protestors plan to camp at the Capitol for “as long as it takes” to have their proposals addressed, rotating in shifts to accommodate students’ and young professionals’ work commitments.

The Dream Defenders have not planned their exact steps beyond speaking at coming legislature meetings.

Yet, celebrities with civil rights leanings such as Jamie Foxx, Chuck D, Nas, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and rock guitarist Tom Morello continue to show outpourings of support.

Kweli and Q-Tip have called Agnew to express solidarity, while Nas and Morello have tweeted their encouragement. Agnew is grateful, but remains focused on broader goals.

“The celebrities are cool, but this movement has to be bottom-up,” said Agnew. “It’s not about the big names, but the young people affected most by these laws.”

Comparisons to the Civil Rights Movement

As the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington approaches, organizers ponder ways the Trayvon Martin-inspired movement can honor the legacy of civil rights leaders.

Professor Warren described the parallels between the Dream Defenders and previous civil rights actions.

“Without the Freedom Rides, sit-ins, or even Black Power later on, Martin Luther King, Jr. and more mainstream civil rights leaders wouldn’t have had a left flank that made them appear more moderate to the folks in power with whom they were negotiating and bargaining with around national legislative action,” he said, alluding to the value of the Dream Defenders as an agitating force.

In an interview with MSNBC host Chris Hayes on his show All In, Belafonte said of Agnew, “in the course of our conversations I got the very strong sense that there was a resolve and a point of view politically that was solidly rooted in the traditions of our non-violence as well as in the traditions of our taking on the challenges of the system.”

Agnew felt humbled that the Dream Defenders have been compared to the iconic heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.

“I would never compare us to them,” Agnew said. “Those folks have been spit on, had pipes thrown at them, and dogs attack them. We use them as a blueprint, moral compass, and inspiration for everything we do.”

Follow Dominique Mann on Twitter @dominiquejmann

TheGrio is a division of MSNBC.

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