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NORWALK, Conn. The Rev. Nellie Mann originally called for protesters to wear hoodies during Saturday's March for Justice in South Norwalk. Then she backed off.
Standing in Grace Baptist Church for the rally that followed the march, Mann modeled a hoodie for the 200 people in front of her.
"I have a hoodie. I wear it proudly," she said. "I am not a gang member. I am not a part of the criminal justice system, and I never will be. So young men and women, when you wear these, wear it proudly. We can wear them if we choose."
Hoodies were just part of the discussion at the rally, held in support of the late Trayvon Martin and his parents. Martin, 17, was fatally shot Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., by George Zimmerman, a man keeping watch over the neighborhood Martin was visiting. Zimmerman has not been arrested.
Here are some comments from the guest speakers Saturday:
? Attorney Darnell Crosland: Most days in this community I wear a suit and I have a bow tie and all that. But today I don't have a bow tie on. I decided to ride my motorcycle down to the march. I don't feel I should be treated any different in this gear.
I ask you, do I look suspicious? I will tell you, when I walk into a courthouse I do look suspicious. People look at me as a nontraditional lawyer. They see a young black fellow and they ask me, 'Who's my lawyer?' ... We can be more today than we were yesterday. We can eventually be more, and we don't have to look suspicious. ...
Mr. Zimmerman doesn't realize a couple of things. A person who is wearing a hooded sweater, doesn't make that person a criminal. It can be confusing, because of who you are in that sweater or the time of night. The police are trained to decipher. ... That's why we have trained officers, and I have to say to you, I'm proud to be part of this community.
? The Rev. Gail Paige-Bowman: There is evil and it doesn't have any color or any face. We need justice. We need love. We need healing. We need community to support each other. ... Our hearts just bleed for Trayvon Martin and his family. They just bleed. It has been so heavy on our hearts.
? Mayor Richard Moccia: We don't have to change the landscape of our city. We have to change the vision and the eyesight of some of the people, that they look out with. There was much made in the press of the hoodie issue. Quite honestly, what I meant to say was this: I didn't want the symbolism to overshadow why we are here. A young man lost his life. While we have a long way to go, we shouldn't let this instance separate us. ... I don't have all the answers. I'm one mayor in one city. I can tell you one thing. As long as I am mayor I will continue to ensure that everyone in this city is treated fairly and equally to the best of my ability.
? Police Chief Harry Rilling: Yes, there was a terrible injustice. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. We, as the mayor said, as long as we are here, we will not tolerate any injustice. I have to tell you that I am proud of Norwalk. Look around this room. Look at the person next to you. You may not know them, but if you take a little piece of string and pull it, it's going to break. Each one of you represents a little piece of string. If you pull it, it's going to break. If you take all those pieces of string, tie them together, you're not going to break it. So what happened in Sanford, Fla., let it never happen here or anyplace else. One community at a time we can make a difference.
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