How Trayvon's Brother Will 'Celebrate' Today

On the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death, his brother says he'll indulge in one of the Florida teen's favorite pastimes.

Jahvaris Fulton rarely gives interviews. But on the anniversary, he spoke to MSNBC about how he's coping and what he plans to do to reflect on the loss. While George Zimmerman's shooting of the unarmed teen set off a national conversation about race and justice, Fulton's plans aren't political or social -- they're personal, and just what you'd expect from a sibling: "To celebrate the day, I'll probably go skating," Fulton said. "That was one of his favorite pastimes. Everyone in this family has taken him to the skating rink at least once. He'd like that."

But for the anniversary of his brother's killing, Fulton talked openly in a rare interview with MSNBC.com about the past year and the slow burn of grief. Fulton has called the year's journey a "whirlwind" of "some good things, some bad things, highs and lows."

"We never signed up for this," Fulton said of the circumstances of his brother's killing, and the call to action his family has lead. "I don't know what else to compare it to. I just think we're getting by, doing the best we can."

He says God has helped the family stand steadily in the public gaze. His father Tracy is often stoic, his voice heavy as he talks of wanting justice for his son. His mother Sabrina seems wracked with the kind of emotional burden that only a mother could know. And almost always with wet eyes. But for Jahvaris, there seems to be a kind of quiet emotional steadiness.

"I guess maybe I haven't come that far along," Fulton said. "I don't talk about it that much. I have conversations in my head about it and I listen to other people. It's like you're trying to wait for it to come out, but you're trying to counsel yourself through it."

Read more at MSNBC.

Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. 

 

Tweet