JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than a decade after losing her son, Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, said the pain of gun violence never truly goes away.
Ahead of her visit to Jacksonville for the Silent Women Speaking Brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 27, Fulton spoke about the lasting impact of losing a child, the importance of support for grieving families and what communities can do to help prevent violence.
Recommended Videos
Fulton, founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, said many people focus on the immediate tragedy of gun violence but often overlook the long-term emotional toll it takes on families.
“It’s not just an incident that happens, and then you move on like a news story,” Fulton said. “It doesn’t move on. It stays with you. It remains with you.”
Martin, 17, was fatally shot in Sanford, Florida, in 2012. His death sparked national conversations about race, gun violence and justice.
More than 14 years later, Fulton said she is still navigating life without her son.
“You have to learn what your new normal is,” she said. “How do I function without this loved one and still have some sort of happiness?”
Fulton will serve as a featured speaker at the Silent Women Speaking Brunch, an event organized by the Silent Women Speaking Foundation. The organization supports families who have lost loved ones to violence and aims to provide resources, advocacy and community support.
Founder Haraka Carswell said holding the event during Gun Violence Awareness Month was intentional.
“We focus so much on statistics, but Silent Women Speaking focuses on the families, the mothers, the fathers and siblings,” Carswell said. “It was important to create a space where families and mothers can come to share and be loved on.”
Fulton said events like the brunch give grieving mothers a chance to connect with others who understand their experiences.
“People need to be heard,” she said. “We need to know that we’re still hurting. We’re still healing as well. Don’t leave that part out. The hurting part, everybody gets right. But the healing part, they tend to forget.”
While Gun Violence Awareness Month focuses on raising awareness, Fulton said communities must also take action. She pointed to mentorship programs, gun safety education and stronger support systems for young people as ways to help prevent future violence.
“I think communities need to make sure that they have mentoring programs for our young people,” Fulton said. “We want to make sure that as adults, we are teaching gun violence awareness.”
She also emphasized the importance of making sure children feel seen, supported and loved.
“A lot of times kids do stuff and they do it out of just needing attention,” Fulton said. “We need to make sure that we’re paying attention to our kids.”
When asked what message she believes her son would want people to remember today, Fulton did not hesitate.
“He had a right to live,” she said. “That our children matter, and that they have a right to walk in peace without being followed, chased, profiled or shot and killed.”
For Fulton, the mission remains the same: supporting families through grief while encouraging communities to work toward a future with fewer victims of gun violence.
She hopes mothers attending the Jacksonville event leave knowing they are not alone.
“It’s about connections. It’s about supporting one another. It’s about empowering one another,” Fulton said. “If somebody else can heal, so can you.”