Who Is Sybrina Fulton? Mother Of Trayvon Martin, Announces Bid For County Commission Seat In Florida

The 2012 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin sent shockwaves across the nation, intensifying debates about racial profiling, calling Florida’s “stand your ground” law into question and serving as the start of the Black Lives Matter movement. While the shooting dominated headlines at the time, the effects have not fully subsided.

It has also prompted some to take further action, such as Martin's mother, who is now pursuing public office.

Sybrina Fulton announced on Monday that she would officially be running for a seat for the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

“Since 2012, I have advocated tirelessly to empower our communities and make them safer. But the work is not done. I am proud to announce that I will run to represent District 1 on the county commission,” she said in a statement.

“Our county must continue moving forward so our families are safe from violence, can afford to live in Miami-Dade and have access to good paying jobs. I am ready to take on these issues and many others in county government.”

Fulton's slogan is "I'm with Sybrina Fulton 2020."

Fulton, a Miami native, earned her bachelor's degree in English from Florida Memorial University.

At the time of Martin's shooting, she was a program coordinator for the Miami Dade Housing Authority. She became a social activist after his death, starting the Trayvon Martin Foundation.

In 2014, she hosted a "peace walk and peace talk" in Los Angeles. Fulton and her ex-husband Tracy Martin, the father of Trayvon Martin, released a book in February 2017, "Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin."

Fulton is seeking a commission seat that will be vacated in 2020 due to term limits. The mayor of Miami Gardens is running for the seat, as well, according to WSVN, a CNN affiliate.

This also makes Fulton the latest in a new batch of candidates seeking office after losing a child to gun violence.

Lucy McBath lost her son, Jordan Davis, in a 2012 shooting after he got into an argument with another man for the loud music coming from Davis’ car. The perpetrator, Michael Dunn, was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting. In the aftermath, McBath started working as an anti-gun activist and recently ran for and won a congressional seat in Georgia’s 6th district.