Beyonce Trayvon Martin Tribute VIDEO During The Mrs Carter Show & Young Jeezy 'Cold World' AUDIO
Beyonce paid a tribute to Trayvon Martin on July 13 shortly after George Zimmerman was acquitted for the 17-year-old's death.
Beyonce asked her audience at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. for a moment of silence to honor Martin on Saturday during her concert, which began 30 minutes after Zimmerman's verdict was announced.
"I'd like to have a moment of silence for Trayvon," the 31-year-old told the crowd, according to The Hufffington Post.
The mother-of-one befittingly sang her rendition of I Will Always Love You, the song made famous by the late Whitney Houston. It was originally written by country singer Dolly Parton.
The Nashville show was one of many stops during the North Eastern leg of the U.S. tour of The Mrs. Carter Show.
According to multiple reports, Beyonce was not the only celebrity that performed a musical tribute to Martin. Rapper Young Jeezy posted a new song, It's A Cold World (A Tribute To Trayvon Martin) to his Facebook page on July 13. He wrote in his comment that he performed the song in no "way shape, form, fashion...to capitalize off the latest series of events." He said the tribute was an expression of his "true feelings" about the verdict.
Zimmerman was found not guilty for the February 2012 shooting of Martin. The jury of six women deliberated for more than 16 hours after Zimmerman's defense attorney delivered their rebuttal argument in the Seminole, Fla. Courtroom on July 12.
Zimmerman faced second-degree murder charges for shooting Martin, a 17-year-old unarmed teen, in Sanford, Fla. on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman was released from police custody several hours after he was taken in for questioning, despite his admitting that he shot Martin once in the chest. Zimmerman told police he shot Martin in self-defense, citing Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
Stand Your Ground, which was legalized in 2005, states that a person may use deadly force in self- defense without the duty to retreat when faced with a reasonable perceived threat. It is approved in almost 30 states. Protest rallied began around the country shortly after the incident because Zimmerman was not arrested intially. The chief of Sanford's police department resigned amid the backlash.
Zimmerman was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree murder 44 days after the shooting on April 11, 2012.
Watch Beyonce sing I Will Always Love You below.
Listen to Young Jeezy's It's A Cold World below.
