Florida’s government offices have been occupied by young, peaceful protesters since Monday, July 15, using the hashtag #takeoverfl and led by the Dream Defenders. The Dream Defenders are an emerging civil rights group formed in protest to Trayvon Martin’s slaying. They describe themselves as being ‘directed by Black and Brown youth’.
The dream they are defending is, of course, Martin Luther King’s dream of freedom, brotherhood and prosperity for Black and White alike. Brian Marshall, president of the Florida Student Union’s Dream Defenders chapter says; “Dream Defenders is something new, making change in forgotten communities, focusing primarily on the school-to-prison pipeline and fighting systematic racism that plagues our communities.”
While the Dream Defender’s website shows that they clearly take inspiration from John Lennon, Malcolm X and many of the other icons of the modern Occupy movement, their vision and their language shows that the heritage of King’s non-violent protest still resonates with youth and the disadvantaged around the world.
