A Florida board of commissioners voted in favor of renaming a street outside of a Miami high school after the late Trayvon Martin.
The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to rename a portion of Northeast 16th Avenue on Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to The Miami Herald. The road passes Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High, where Martin attended school at the time of his death.
“Although Trayvon Martin’s life was tragically cut short, his death elicited national conversations about race relations, racial profiling, gun rights, and stand your ground laws and was a catalyst that set nationwide demands for social justice reforms in motion,” the board wrote in the resolution.
Martin died in 2012 at 17 after he was gunned down by neighborhood watch vigilante George Zimmerman following an altercation. Martin’s death helped inspire the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted his parents to engage in community work. Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, and his father, Tracey Martin, joined forces to create the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
The resolution stated the board “appreciates the social justice reforms spurred by his death.”
The document also shared little-known aspects of the teen’s life and personality.
“He was beloved by his family, friends, and other members of his community and has been described as a peaceful, respectful, laid back, and positive person,” the resolution read. The document added he wanted to enter the aviation industry after he graduated from college. Martin wanted to attend the University of Miami or Florida A&M University, the resolution pointed out.
“In some ways, Trayvon Martin was a typical teenager who enjoyed playing video games, listening to music, watching movies, and talking and texting on the phone,” the resolution also noted.
The name change is expected to be official this week and signs bearing Martin’s name will be erected in a few weeks, according to CNN.
