Missouri History Museum

The story of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who was killed by an armed neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida, captured national attention and interest after local police chose not to arrest the person responsible for Martin's death. 

Dr. Tricia Rose contends that there is a broader lesson to consider in the wake of this tragedy, that it goes beyond the individuals involved in the incident and focuses on the social factors that enabled it to happen.  Dr. Rose, professor of Africana Studies at Brown University and a social critic well known for her groundbreaking book on the emergence of hip-hop culture, discusses how the Trayvon Martin tragedy represents ongoing problems surrounding race, youth culture, and the criminal justice system in the United States.  A Q&A session will follow.

This program is sponsored in part by First Civilizations and High Quality Speakers Bureau.