Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin

Sybrina Fulton · Tracy Martin

Jan 2017 · Sold by Random House

About this ebook

Trayvon Martin’s parents take readers beyond the news cycle with an account only they could give: the intimate story of a tragically foreshortened life and the rise of a movement.
 
“A reminder—not only of Trayvon’s life and death but of the vulnerability of black lives in a country that still needs to be reminded they matter.”—USA Today
 
Now a docuseries on the Paramount Network produced by Shawn Carter
 
Years after his tragic death, Trayvon Martin’s name is still evoked every day. He has become a symbol of social justice activism, as has his hauntingly familiar image: the photo of a child still in the process of becoming a young man, wearing a hoodie and gazing silently at the camera. But who was Trayvon Martin, before he became, in death, an icon? And how did one black child’s death on a dark, rainy street in a small Florida town become the match that lit a civil rights crusade?
 
Rest in Power, told through the compelling alternating narratives of his parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, answers those questions from the most intimate of sources. The book takes us beyond the news cycle and familiar images to give the account that only his parents can offer: the story of the beautiful and complex child they lost, the cruel unresponsiveness of the police and the hostility of the legal system, and an inspiring journey from grief and pain to power, and from tragedy and senselessness to purpose.

Ratings and reviews

Political Propaganda by a Ghost Writer The first thing that is clear after a few chapters of reading is that this was not written by Sybrina and Tracy, but by a ghost writer who interviewed them or collaborated with them. The style of writing in Sybrina’s chapters and Tracy’s chapters is the same. The book perpetuated many myths that were proven false in court and avoided or glossed over key facts to perpetuate their myth that Martin was an innocent victim. They completely ignored Alicia Stanleys involvement raising Trayvon, and how he deteriorated afte she was not in his life. They also failed to mention that Sybrina Fulton kicked Trayvon out of her house because she couldn't deal with her anymore and Tracy gave Trayvon warnings to respect his new woman. All in all, it is a hit piece that glosses over all the turmoil that was going on in the family, and the wayward direction Trayvon was heading to paint an idylic fantasy where Trayvon wasn't constantly fighting, and glossed over that he was busted in school for having stolen property. This hit piece follows the mythos written by Lisa Bloom in Suspicion Nation, actually mentioned in the book, and ignores many facts that are indisputable. I found it amusing that Sybrina would mention that Trayvon was 140 lbs and almost 6 feet, and later they would claim that George Zimmerman was much larger than him, at 5'7 and at a pudgy 194 lbs. Less difference in weight than by a huge margin than George Zimmerman that night and George difference during the trial days And much less than the difference between Michael Brown and Darren Wilson, for that matter. But the height and athleticism was a huge difference. Trayvon was an active fighter and George was not. I could write a whole dissertation on the many false claims in this book but the time investment isn't worth it. Finally, no mention is made of the two million dollar settlement that Sybrina and Tracy got with the HOA before the end of the trial, how much thet have made throughout this whole campaign and how much they will be making with the royalties from this book as well as the upcoming series based on this book and Suspicion Nation. Like I said, a hit piece, slim on actual facts, but it will keep the cult happy.

So relevant for today. We must not be moved in our fight! What an incredible journey through love and loss

This book was a good read. Even though I already new the horrible outcome it was still a surprising book.

About the author

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin are the founders of The Trayvon Martin Foundation, which aims to create community programming and raise awareness of the impact of gun violence and racial profiling on families. Fulton and Martin live in the Miami, Florida, area.