Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, has announced that she is running for a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission.
Fulton was thrust into the national spotlight after the shooting of her son in 2012. Since then she has spent her life advocating for an end to gun violence and promoting social justice.
“Since 2012, I have advocated tirelessly to empower our communities and make them safer,” she said in a statement Saturday. “But the work is not done. I am proud to announce that I will run to represent District 1 on the county commission.”
She plans to formally announce her run on Monday.
“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,” she said in her statement. “I am ready to take on these issues and many others in county government.”
In an exclusive interview with ESSENCE this month, Fulton said that she has yet to forgive George Zimmerman, the man who killed her son.
“I have not gotten to the point where I have forgiven the person that shot and killed my son. Prior to this, I was just an average mom working an average job living in an average house, taking care of average kids. It took my son to be shot down before I stood up, because I never expected to be a community activist, to be a spokesperson, to be an author,” Fulton said.