if it's sunday, it's "meet the press." good sunday afternoon. i'm craig melvin live in sanford, florida, with fresh reaction to the not guilty verdict for george zimmerman in the death of trayvon martin. >> state of florida versus george zimmerman. the verdict, we, the jury, find george zimmerman, not guilty. >> this case has never been about race nor has it ever been about the right to bear arms. not in the sense of proving this as a criminal case. but trayvon martin was profiled.

>> things would have been different if george zimmerman was black for this reason, he never would have been charged with a crime. >> i think all america has to dig deep in their heart to try to find out how we as a society can learn from this tragedy and make sure it's not repeated. >> what's next for the families? for this community? and our country? we are live covering every angle of this story as the verdict re verb rates from coast to coast. >> sad and disappointed. this is a very sad, sad time. >> it's truly a tragedy. a 17-year-old boy is dead. both sides presented their case and the jury decided. that's justice. >> it's been more than 17 hours now since the jury delivered that not guilty verdict for george zimmerman and reaction is coming in from all sides,

including the family of trayvon martin. martin's cousins talked to reporters outside the family's church in miami gardens. >> we know in the end god will prevail and justice will be served. and keep everybody pr their prayers. remember, trayvon, as sabrina always said, could have been your son, could have been my baby, could have been anyone in america's baby. just walking to the store and coming back with skittles and iced tea. things do happen in life. but sometimes it's not fair. >> meanwhile here in sanford, just a short time ago i actually sat down with the martin attorney, benjamin. let's start with the decision not to have trayvon martin's parents inside the courtroom when the verdict was read. >> us and law enforcement kind of decided not knowing how the

verdict was going to go. they had got some threats, and we thought that it best that they, for their security, not be there. and then at a certain point, they wanted to leave so they could be in church this morning. so it was a combination of those decisions that they were not there when the verdict came back. >> how are they doing? >> you know, last night they were devastated. they were heart broken. and they cried. and they prayed and cried some more. but then, you know, sabrina and tracy martin, from the time this tragedy happened to now, they have grown. they have handled it with dignity and grace. and they continue to grow into the role. sabrina told me a little while ago that, you know, this verdict won't define trayvon. we will define his legacy. and she said that we just have

to roll up our sleeves because we've come a long way, but we've got a long way to go and a lot of work to do, because we've got to protect other children out there. >> let's talk about some of that work. in the next step. there's been talk about a civil suit. there's been talk of justice department civil rights charges. what is the next step going to be? >> we have to talk with the family in the days coming, about those matters. but the next immediate steps have certainly been to use people's energy right now to do something positive. to take away from these negatives and make things positive. i know on august 24, they're going to have the great march on washington fifth anniversary with reverend sharpton involved in it, as well as martin luther king iii. they'll talk about the youth of our children.

and so they want to use trayvon as a motivation at that march, that they're trying to encourage everybody to express themselves, to come out and do peaceful protests in washington, d.c. with them. so they are motivated in trying to move forward, craig. and not have a defeatist mentality. they want to have a conquer mentality. and they won't let somebody profile their child to define their legacy. >> we have not heard from any of the six jurors. we may not hear from any of the six jurors. if you could ask them collectively one question, what would that question be? >> well, you know, as officers of the court, we try to respect the jury's verdict, even if we don't agree with it. we try to respect their verdict and try to encourage people to accept the rule of law.

i told tracy and sabrina, i tell all my clients, there's no guarantee at justice. there's a chance at justice. and that's all we have in america. and that's what makes us the greatest country in the world. at least we have a chance at justice. you know, the obvious question is, if this was your child. >> that's a good spot to leave it. thank you, sir. i appreciate your time as always. i want to note here, msnbc has invited members of the zimmerman family and the defense team to join us on a number of occasions, but they have not yet accepted our invitation. joining me now, however, the manag manager. i talked to mayor triplet a few hours ago, early this morning, about six hours ago now. he indicated to me so far there have not been any arrests, any sort of major problems related

to the verdict. i want to make sure that is still the case. >> that is the case. >> how does this community, how does sanford move forward after this? >> when this happened, what was brought to my attention is issues between the african-american community of sanford and our police department. we now have a new police chief who is reaching out into the african-american community as well as the entire sanford community. we are recognizing the tragedy that took place last february. as a city we're moving forward. >> these racial tensions that you mentioned. how have those evolved in recent years? >> i would say there's a sense by some residents of the city that the police department wasn't serving them adequately. >> you say a sense. do you acknowledge that's true, or -- >> i acknowledge they felt that way. >> but not that it's true? >> no, i just acknowledge they felt that way. i wasn't here, so i can't say. but i accept it. but if they felt that way, we

need to build trust between the sanford police department and the community. let them see that the police are doing their job as they're supposed to do. >> what does that mean? quantify that for me. more community policing? are we talking a greater diversity on the police force? what does that mean? >> what i heard is they felt in some cases there were crimes that the sanford police department didn't adequately investigate. so they have to focus that right there, when we have a crime, we are taking all efforts and letting the people involved know we are serious about investigating it and getting to the bottom of it. >> how concerned is the city of sanford that this forever becomes a place synonymous with the place where trayvon martin was shot and killed? >> our charge is to make sure people see it as more than that. there's no way getting away from the fact that trayvon martin was shot here. george zimmerman and trayvon martin were a tragic encounter in a city of over 54,000.

but there's two people. trayvon martin did not live here, and as i understand george zimmerman didn't live here very long. only lived here a couple of years, from my understanding. >> thank you very much, city manager, sanford, florida. big thanks to you. >> okay. >> also, we've been waiting for a while, waiting since last night obviously for a statement from the white house. president obama issued a statement just a few moments ago from 1600 pennsylvania avenue. here it is in part. the death of trayvon martin was a tragedy. not just for his family, or for any one community, but for america. i know this case has elicited strong passions. and in the wake of the verdict, i know those passions may be running even higher, but we are a nation of laws, and the jury has spoken. i now ask america to recognize calm reflection on two parents who lost a son. we continue our live coverage

from sanford, florida, what's next? zimmerman may not be done defending himself in court? now civil rights leaders are calling for new charges. also ahead -- >> in my instance, because i am african-american. we never really get a fair trial. we don't feel like we get a fair trial. >> that was longtime sanford resident and business owner brenda hartsfield about 24 hours ago on our show. i'll check in with her and get her reaction to the verdict. we'll be right back. [ brent ] this guy's a pro, herbie. [ herbie ] there's no doubt about it brent, a real gate keeper. here's kevin, the new boyfriend. lamb to the slaughter. that's right brent. mom's baked cookies but he'll be lucky to make it inside. and here's the play. oh dad did not see this coming. [ crowd cheering ] now if kevin can just seize the opportunity. it's looking good, herbie. he's seen it. it's all over. nothing but daylight. yes i'd love a cookie. [ male announcer ] make a powerful first impression.

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this verdict still has nothing to do with civil rights. civil rights needs to be talked about, but not in the context of

the george zimmerman verdict. >> that was mark o'mara last night. the president and ceo of the naacp, head of the naacp legal defense and education fund. good to see both of you. >> thank you. >> thank you for spending part of your sunday afternoon with me. ben, we heard mr. o'mara's comments there. what's your response to that, first of all? >> well, look, you know, this was a trial where both sides really kept race out of the equation. the prosecutors didn't really about ur sue the pattern of racial profiling that it appears mr. zimmerman has engaged in in the past, and even up to that day. the defense also kept it out of it. so what he said may be technically true about that verdict. but it's also true that this was a jury that had no blacks on it, despite the demographics of the

state. and the region. and people have a right to question that. it's also true that mr. zimmerman over a period of years, made dozens and dozens of calls, grossly disproportionately about young, black and brown men, boys of color, boys that lived in his community were of color said that he targeted them unfairly. and that it sounds from some of his comments that was a factor. in why he targeted a young innocent boy who was just walking home with skittles and iced tea, trying to get to his father's friend's house. the reality here is that it may not have anything to do with this verdict, but it certainly has a lot to do with this case and raised a lot of serious questions about why trayvon martin was killed that day. >> cherylynn, there is talk

about the next steps. what's it going to take for the justice department, do you think, to investigate the shooting of trayvon martin as a civil rights violation? >> well, ben and the naacp have done an extraordinary job of mobilizing the public to sign a petition. i think the last i heard it was a quarter of a million people. when i went to bed last night it was 100,000 people. maybe in an hour or two who had signed the petition asking the attorney general to investigate. we also know that the attorney general takes this quite seriously and his senior staff will be looking into this. you know the fbi opened an investigation in march. and now what we'll be doing as civil rights law organizations, and what we know the department of justice will be doing is looking at the available civil rights statutes to determine whether or not there can be, first, a federal investigation, and then a federal prosecution of some kind. and i have to say that, you know, i'd go a step further than ben and say there's almost no

aspect of this case or verdict that doesn't have to do with civil rights, despite mr. o'mara's protestations to the contrary. george zimmerman never would have been arrested had it not been for the civil rights mobilization throughout this country, that demanded that respect accorded the life of an african-american boy killed by a man who stopped him on the streets of his own neighborhood. when it moves to the federal realm, most likely in play is the federal hate crime statute, in which the charge is based on bodily injury, because of someone's race, color or national origin. there is no question that race would be at the center of any federal charge. >> let me jump in quickly here. how likely, though, how likely is that? at this point? considering that the verdict yesterday, considering double

jeopardy laws. how likely is the justice department to pursue something like this? >> it would not be double jeopardy. the hate crime statute is a separate federal statute. as i said, it speaks to bodily injury because of race, as ben just pointed out, not only did the prosecution and the defense keep race out of the state trial, the judge ordered it out. she would not allow the words racial profiling, for example, to be used. they could only talk about profiling. much of the evidence that we know about that ben described in terms of mr. zimmerman's past conduct, as it relates to race, was not introduced into this case. so we'd be talking about a different frame. and in fact, a different violation. and so it's hard to say at this point what the outcome of such an investigation would be. but there's certainly more than enough in this case to warrant a serious federal -- a sharp look at whether or not the hate crime statute could be invoked in this case, looking at all the

evidence, including evidence not introduced into the state criminal trial. >> ben, one could argue that the other part of this case involved guns. under florida's self-defense law, a person has, quote, no duty to retreat. at this point, does the naacp start looking at seeking to have the law changed, not only in florida, but perhaps in other states with similar statutes? >> yes. in fact, we've been focused on that for the past year, across the country. we've been able, in the lower 48 states, to block stand your ground laws in many places. we've not seen one passed in the continental u.s. this year. we have also been able to push successfully, to get tough anti-racial profiling bills passed in places like new york city, with a veto-proof vote. and so we have to stay focused,

yes, on pushing doj in this indication, but frankly, to pushing this country to get better and better, to become a more perfect union, to move closer to that day when we will truly be one nation. and, you know, the reality is, that today, our country is safer. sanford is safer. new york city is safer because this family stood up, and because people across this country stood up with them and pushed and built a movement for justice that will continue. >> big thanks to both of you. >> thank you, craig. >> thank you. folks, we've been asking a very simple question op the website, do you agree with the jury's verdict? very simple question. the results so far, you can take part in our online poll at tv.msnbc.com. you're watching live special coverage of the acquittal of george zimmerman. ♪

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as the jury deliberated yesterday, i spent some time with brenda hartsfield, a business owner in goldsboro. i wanted to bring her back. back with us today, i wanted to get reaction from you. because when we talked yesterday, you said, very simply, that i hope justice will be served. >> correct. >> what do you make of the verdict? >> it's upsetting. and to tell you the truth, i'm absolutely mad about it. i mean, really mad, because i just knew something would have been done. i just could not believe that even with the evidence that people were saying, the only thing that i really concentrated on was that the police told him not to do anything. he did it anyway. and a confrontation happened.

things happened. a person got killed. nothing was done. that is the most upsetting thing to me. i just could not believe that you can look at somebody and assume that they're guilty of something. i just can't imagine that. >> do you think that the prosecutors did the best job they could have done with the evidence that they had? or do you think that perhaps with a different set of prosecuting attorneys the outcome might have been different? >> i don't think they did a good job. the head prosecutor that was from jacksonville, i was hoping that, okay, she was going to come and present the case. because that's who we saw in our eyes, that was going to come down in the big defense. but you didn't even see her. it was the other people that was doing it, and i didn't feel like

they did a good job. >> i know you have children. >> yes. >> you have an 18-year-old daughter. have you had a conversation with them yet about what this all means? >> you know, that's funny, because my daughter was talking to me, and she was like, ma, you know, it's not a racial thing. >> really? >> that's what she told me. and i said, but it is. you have to look at it from another point of view. because he was just walking through the neighborhood. he lived there. just because i live in a gated community now. if you were walking in the neighborhood -- my daughter wears hoodies every day, pretty much. you couldn't tell by a hoodie if she was a boy or a girl. if she was walking in the neighborhood, should i be afraid? that's what i'm trying to get to her. once she saw it, she was like, oh. but she didn't look at it that way. that's why the younger

generation, they need to pay attention. because this has woken up a lot of deep-rooted anger from the community that they need to see. they really do. the younger people need to see what is really going on. because they're coming up, and i know you have friends of other races, but they really don't see color. you know what i'm saying? which is good. but they do need to see right and wrong, that's my point. >> before i let you good et out of here. you're the unofficial mayor of golds boro. what was the reaction last night on that part of sanford? >> oh, my god. angry. angry. really angry. >> were people surprised? yes and no. they wanted something done. but have we gotten justice? no. >> we'll have to leave it there. i appreciate your time today, and yesterday as well. a business owner, unofficial mayor of goldsboro as well. people from all over this

country turn to social media en masse last night in reaction to the zimmerman verdict. steve harvey tweeted, a child is dead, and the man that killed him is free. and again, the child is black. my country 'tis of thee? bryan petersen tweeted this, if you trusted the justice system to find the man guilty, you must trust it when it finds a man not guilty, or it's just partiality, you see. and finally, russell simmons tweeting this, i know many people are very upset about the verdict but we must remain peaceful. no matter what, remain peaceful. you're watching msnbc. [ male announcer ] where do you want to take your business? i need help selling art. [ male announcer ] from broadband to web hosting to mobile apps, small business solutions from at&t have the security you need to get you there. call us. we can show you how at&t solutions can help you do what you do... even better. ♪

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trayvon martin. we're told all of this, of course, following last night's not guilty verdict in the trial of george zimmerman. again, a live look at union square in new york city. i'm here in sanford, florida, where we continue to follow reaction to the verdict. joining me live with more on how the sanford community specifically and people across this country are reacting, tremain lee for msnbc.com. alexis stojhill, alexis standing by as well. alexis, always good to see you. you landed on the ground this morning, spent the better part of the morning talking to people here in sanford. what are they telling you about the verdict last night? >> their reaction, and not that we should have expected any anger for any particular reason, it's not anger, it's sadness and disappointment. they said that on one hand they expected this. they're so used to these injustices. now to have the value of their lives placed so low, this is what they're telling me, that

our boys can't even walk home from the store. there's not the seated anger, but a deep sadness. what about trayvon martin's family and his parents. >> what about this notion that people here in sanford, that people in the surrounding community as well, after the verdict came down, that they were going to take to the streets with pitch forks and torches in hand and set this place on fire? >> i think we're drawing back to the early 1990s when it was socially a powder keg and war on drugs and stuff. that's not sanford. this community, though they are weary of injustices, and there's a strained relationship between law enforcement and the black community, it's not a tipping point moment. it's sadness and disappointment. a man told me we have these wounds open for a long time and we get salt poured into them time and again. >> alexis, post-verdict, what were the protests like, and how many more do we know at this

point, how many more of planned? >> we know for certain at 3:00 p.m., i guess it would be under way right now, there was a protest planned in sanford, florida, brought together by a legislator well-known in the community. it would be peaceful and religiously motivated. at the same time sanford and seminole county, they want people to come together near churches open to every community, no matter what the denomination so people can congregate peacefully to express any emotions in a setting that will not ferment outrage. even a spontaneous occurrence in chicago, in miami, in the bay area, have been completely peaceful. sometimes people are walking the streets. mostly they've just chanted, they've held their signs and just expressed a sense of mourning in a completely peaceful way. >> alexis, i know you also spend a great deal of your professional life online, like myself. what are you reading online?

what are people saying out there in the twitter-verse? >> a ton of grief. many calls to be peaceful. many calls for people to use this situation, use this circumstance to move forward, and see how they can be inspired to make positive changes, if they truly want to honor trayvon martin. don't react violently. don't become apathetic. don't become disgruntled, but see what you can do in your own individual life, in your community, in your church, to make this world a better place if you really want to see kids' lives not be lost in vain. a lot of people, i was surprised by this, have gone and on about we're not surprised at all by this verdict. i think one of the only negative things i've seen come out is the level to which a lot of people, especially african-americans, but definitely many people feel as though there may not be justice served in america for a young black man. that was really brought to the surface in a really clear way that i haven't seen before.

>> you know, one of the things that my last guest something to me, that struck me, this idea that -- especially in our generation, we've got, you know, we've got a lot of different types of friends. friends, a lot of folks who don't necessarily look like us, a lot more than perhaps in the previous generation. this question that she raised that perhaps with all of this assimilation, maybe something has been lost on this new generation. maybe this in some way, shape or form will serve as a wakeup call. >> you would have to imagine going through the generational differences. we're at the point where we're largely integrated. we're around white folks, we work with white folks. but sometimes you look at yourself through white folks' s eyes. but for people in this community, communities all across the country, the kind of uprising and groundswell in the beginning, it was a wakeup call.

people took to the internet. millions of people signed these petitions. now, since trayvon martin's name is a household name, it's that others see it for dialogue. >> what do you think, alexis, 20, 25, 30 years from now when we're talking about this case, what do you think we'll be talking about? how do you think trayvon martin, how do you think his life and name will be remembered? >> i think what's really poignant, one of the most poignant aspects of the aftermath, there's also a trayvon martin foundation, founded by his parents to honor his legacy, but to help other families who may find themselves in a situation like they find themselves, to make sure nothing like this happens again. many people believe we're at a state in our country that will likely happen again, that someone who shouldn't be killed, who is innocent, will be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and because of profiling, whether it's racial or any other kind, might end up losing someone they love. they'll need the support and

legal help and encouragement to survive that. i think in the future, this horrible incident will make people think about a number of issues, and also the strength that it takes for people to come together as a community to help people survive a tragedy. this is what has happened with the trayvon martin movement. as one of his relatives called it. a movement that is showing people can come together and overcome adversity, and this foundation in his name will carry that forward. >> alexis, and traymaine lee, a big thanks to both of you. >> thank you. at the very heart of this case is this ground law. will the zimmerman verdict set a new precedent perhaps for similar cases across the country? we'll talk about that. the question that many parents have been asking. including the miami heat's dwyane wade. how do i explain this to my young boys? tely gonna throw him. she's seen it too.

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this protest is a show of strength. but also a show of solidarity with the family. >> we stand together to be unified against this violence. >> it was devastating. it wasn't unexpected, however. it was not unexpected. but that doesn't take away the sting. >> after being found not guilty by the state of florida, what's next for george zimmerman. joining me to talk about that, and lots of other things, former u.s. attorney and msnbc legal analyst. and a defense attorney and former prosecutor. welcome to both of you. last night, zimmerman's attorney, mark o'mara said he hoped his client would avoid civil charges as well. >> if someone believes it's appropriate to sue george zimmerman, we will seek and get immunity in a civil hearing.

we'll see how many civil lawsuits are spawned from this fiasco. >> fiasco, karen. what did mark o'mara that george zimmerman may get immunity going forward? >> the civil case in this case, it's already been filed from what i understand. so, you know, if the martin family wants to go forward with a wrongful death, obviously, you know, they are welcome to do that. i mean, it's kind of difficult in these type of cases. craig, you've been covering this case. and the information, the facts are kind of open-ended. even now we're asking ourselves questions, and we have more questions, and more assumptions and more presumptions. so, you know, it's hard for a family to go through a civil trial. look at the o.j. simpson case. that family unfortunately, neither of those families collected any of the award from the o.j. simpson trial. as far as bringing people back, it doesn't. but again, if there's a way to take that money and use it for a

positive purpose, i'm all for it. >> kendall, now running for local office in new york city, he weighed in on the justice department's role in the case going forward. he did it this morning on abc this morning. take a listen. >> should the justice department step in now? >> but it's a very dicey position. because there's been a criminal case, double jeopardy is a fundamental principle in our judicial system as it should be. it's going to be hard for them to come back at the defendant and, boy, this is understandably a hugely emotional moment. >> kendall, as a former u.s. attorney, what recourse exactly does the justice department have at this point? >> i don't agree that double jeopardy prevents a separate federal prosecution after an unsuccessful state prosecution. two different sovereigns in a sense. so double jeopardy isn't what would tie the hands of the department of justice. the real issue is, they have

very limited jurisdiction. we recalled a year and a half ago what they were looking at was proof of a hate crime. proof of racial hostility. and this trial did not add to the evidence of a hate crime that would be within the jurisdiction of the department of justice. so the real issue i don't think is double jeopardy, it's can they prove in effect a crime motivated by racial hatred. they had some difficulty getting to that point before. i don't think this trial makes it any easier for them. >> kendall, you've also got a background as a miami criminal defense attorney. talk to us a little bit about florida's stand your ground law. is it likely we'll see legislation come from this, that will change, limit or possibly even eradicate the law entirely? >> i don't think so. as you know, the governor of florida appointed a commission. they didn't recommend changes. but two points of stand your ground.

first of all, if there is a civil lawsuit going forward, it can be raised in a separate stand your ground hearing. the defendant, in that case it would be george zimmerman, would have the burden of proof and george zimmerman would finally have to testify. which gives whoever's prosecuting the civil case a real opportunity to see if there are any inconsistencies. the other respect with stand your ground is that this was not a successful prosecution. but it got prosecuted. and i am hopeful that in some sense, the message that stand your ground was an unlimited license to kill is answered by the fact that, look, you exercise that law. you better make darn sure it was absolutely necessary. because the risk of prosecution in going through this kind of trial is a very, very serious matter to consider. >> karen, i want to talk for a moment about press again. what could last night's verdict mean potentially for other cases

going forward here in florida, and perhaps nationwide as well? >> well, these cases, these self-defense cases happen all of the time. and it's really interesting in this case, because as defense attorney, a lot of the racial discrimination issues that you're hearing, defense attorneys are the ones that are dealing with it, because they're dealing with the young hispanic and black youths, defending them when they're saying they're profiled. so this issue is kind of flip-flopped. now you have the prosecutor who's in the position of defending a racial discrimination case. but those defense attorneys out there in florida are the ones who are on the ground floor representing a lot of the youth in these racial profiling cases. so that's what's a little disconcerting, especially since florida has been no friend to children as far as prosecuting children as adults. so going forward, i think that the huge elephant in the room is the concealed weapon laws, monitoring them, who you're giving the guns out to. i think we could all agree that maybe zimmerman probably

wouldn't have gotten out of his car if he wasn't comfortable and didn't have a gun at his waistside. that's one of the earlier issues that comes out of there, does florida do anything with that legislation? we'll see. i think giving people guns and having them concealed and expecting these kind of situations are not going to happen is a little absurd. >> karen and kendall, big thanks to both of you on this sunday. special coverage of the acquittal of george zimmerman continues next live from sanford, florida. you're watching msnbc. that thick creamy texture, i was in trouble. look i'm in a committed relationship with activia and i've been happy and so has my digestive system. now i'm even happier since activia greek showed up because now i get to have my first love and my greek passion together, what i call a healthy marriage. activia greek. the feel good greek. ♪ dannon

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it begins that there is no place can you can be, no home you can buy, no school to put your kid in that is safe. >> that is the voice of melissa, in the wake of george zimmerman's acquittal last night.

adviser or lgbgt racial justice o at center for american progress. and amy holmes, good to see all of you. we ask each of you, each member of the brain trust to give us their take on the zimmerman case in the forth of a headline. it is what we could here on sunday. aiesha, let me start with you. what is your headline? >> it seems to be open season an black men and boys. i say that with lots of pain in my heart. i have talked to several friends who are black men who have sons and i ask them, what on earth are you going to say to your kids? what are you going to teach them about how they should walk out of the house tomorrow? and time and time again, the response i got is, you know, it feels like we have determined that it is open season now. that anybody in america, because

they feel like it, can look at a black boy, a black man, judge him and do harm. it is very, very sad. >> bob, how should parents have conversationes with their children? >> beyond this particular case, i think they have to talk about the fate of this nation. i think what we've seen here is that united states has a long way to go still to achieve its promises, like equal justice under law. if we're going to be a united states, we are going to have to somehow get past the continuation of these various divisions, like what was illustrated here. the racial division. but not only that. and lastly i think that we need to have work on our various institutions. i don't think this court looked all that well, all that

effective as it could be. you can make all of the flat tudes you could, but this time i think it really didn't work. >> what is your headline, amy holmes? >> craig, i can't even tell you how upset i am about this case and that verdict last night. my line is that unfortunately, in this country, if you are a young black male, you do not get the benefit of the doubt. and if i had children, i would tell them what my parent tell me. that most people are trying to dot right thing but some people aren't. and those people are dangerous. and you need to be watchful and weary of these people in our midst. it is very clear to me that george zimmerman saw trayvon martin walking down the street and racially profiled him. and that racially profiling was fatal. trayvon martin is dead. i do want to commend his family for handling themselves with such dignity. it has been inspiring to watch. and craig, i know you spoke

earlier with family members and the lawyer of the family who said this they went to church today. i'm an religious person, but i so appreciate that they went to a place where they could reflect, bring themselves closer to god and perhaps hopefully find a way it move forward. >> aiesha, what do you think this case is going to mean for broader lasting -- for the broader lasting impact on race relations in america? >> that is such a big question. i think what this case has done has highlighted like amy just did that there is a race relations issue this happens in america. i think it is absolutely going to call into account the fact that we still have media and culture that perpetuates images of black men that are false. that perpetuates this idea in a scary narrative of black boys and black men being villains. as opposed to victims when they

really are. i think it will ask us why we when see a a white boy with a hoody it reminds us of mark z zuckerberg. when we see a black boy in a hoody, it is trayvon martin or someone that is guilt oo. this is cause for us to stop, take pause and question why we are still having these conversations in the 21st century. i hope that, you know, that's the beginning. we can have all of the policy plattudes that we want to and as a policy professional, i have a lot of opinions about what we can tangibly do, but we need to rap our arms around our black boys, tell them that we love them. put our arms around our black men. because they have scars. that they walk through this world with because of incidents like this.

>> you know, we have to actually leave it there this week. we usually have more time but obviously with all that is happening here in sanford, florida, we today cut it short. thanks to all of you. moment ago, we found out the justice department released a statement saying the department will continue it evaluate the evidence to determine whether federal prosecution is appropriate following the state trial. that does it for this special edition of msnbc live from sanford, florida. karen finney and "disrupt" next. for knowing the days your money is going out, and when it's coming in. for having danger days, to warn you when you're running a little low. for help seeing your money in a whole new light go to pncvirtualwallet.com and see everything pnc virtual wallet® has to offer. pnc bank. for the achiever in you®.

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[ herbie ] there's no doubt about it brent, a real gate keeper. here's kevin, the new boyfriend. lamb to the slaughter. that's right brent. mom's baked cookies but he'll be lucky to make it inside. and here's the play. oh dad did not see this coming. [ crowd cheering ] now if kevin can just seize the opportunity. it's looking good, herbie. he's seen it. it's all over. nothing but daylight. yes i'd love a cookie. [ male announcer ] make a powerful first impression. the all-new nissan sentra. ♪ thanks for disrupting your afternoon. i'm karen finney. ntoday we will take a look t the issues surrounding the george zimmerman trial. >> we the jury find the defendant not guilty. >> george zimmerman found not guilty in the death of trayvon martin. >> he is a free man in the eyes of the court.