The Rev. Michael Pfleger on Sunday added his voice to the growing chorus demanding justice in the death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.
At St. Sabina Church, Pfleger delivered a fiery sermon, advising his flock to join the fight for justice, the Tribune reported.
Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer earlier this month. The volunteer claimed self-defense, even though Marin was unarmed, and local police declinced to file charges. That sparked a nation-wide outcry of racial injustice. Martin was black, and the man who shot him is not.
While someone held up a sign reading, "We are all Trayvon Martin," Pfleger asked everyone to repeat, "That's our son. That's our brother. That's our friend."
"We can't talk about Trayvon Martin without talking about evil laws like Stand Your Ground. We can't talk about Trayvon Martin without talking about racism that's alive and well in America today," the reverend said. "We gotta be just as outraged when a child in Chicago dies, as when a child in Orlando, Florida. When any child is killed."
"I pray that this is a moment of enlightenment, America," Pfleger said. "Be who you say you are, America. Be outraged when any child dies."
Many in Pfleger's congregation wore hoodies to honor Martin. That's what the teen was wearing when he was gunned down on his way home. A statue near the front of the church was also outfitted in a hoodie, holding Skittles candy and a can of iced tea, which is what Martin was carrying when he died.
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"Jesus wore a hood. Is he suspicious?" Pfleger asked.
Protests about the shooting continue to grow in Chicago and in cities all around the country.
