Washington, DC, July 14, 2013 - We are extremely disappointed by the verdict in the case of State of Florida v. George Zimmerman. As lawyers we respect the rule of law, but in this instance the Zimmerman verdict sadly highlights the continued injustices Black Americans face in the U.S. legal system.

"The verdict," stated NBA President John E. Page "says an unarmed college-bound Black teen can be profiled, stalked, confronted and killed by an armed neighborhood watchman with hollow tip point bullets. We express our heartfelt condolences to Trayvon Martin's family on this tragic verdict. We also say 'Enough is Enough - It is NOT OK to kill our youth'."

The fact is the jury delivered a not guilty verdict. The TRUTH is justice has not been served. In these most challenging of times, we are called upon to act. We must move from outrage to action. It starts today with the NBA and YOU!

"Injustice anywhere," as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said "is a threat to justice everywhere." We have work to do to achieve justice for Trayvon Martin. As social agitators, the members of the NBA are continuing the struggle for "equal justice under the law" for Trayvon Martin. At the forefront of this struggle are NBA members Daryl Parks (Past NBA President) and Ben Crump, of the Tallahassee, Florida law firm Parks & Crump, LLC, that are representing Trayvon's family in advocating for "equal justice under the law." We proudly stand with them.

We urge the Department of Justice to act. The Department can still address the violation of Trayvon's most fundamental civil right - the right to life. Upon a thorough investigation of the matter, we expect the Department to vigorously pursue all appropriate claims.

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