SANFORD, Florida (March 26, 2012) -- Justice for Trayvon Martin is necessary to restore faith in the nation's criminal justice system, said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, who addressed a crowd of 75,000 gathered to rally in Trayvon's name today.

Morial joined Allie Braswell, President and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, which has been a leader in the fight for justice for Trayvon.

"America is not a nation where the killing of a teenage boy will be shrugged off simply because he is black," Morial said. "We are not a nation that will tolerate violence against our children, and we will not tolerate inaction by law enforcement."

Braswell said the nation must move past the racial distrust that led George Zimmerman to view an unarmed black teenager, minding his own business, as suspicious.

"This case has lead the community to confront racism as a real and prevalent problem," Braswell said. "When the police simply assume that an innocent victim like Trayvon was a threat just because of his race, it's long past time to re-examine the community's values."

Morial commended Braswell for his leadership, which has succeeded in persuading Governor Rick Scott to appoint a special prosecutor in the case.

"The Urban League Movement stands strong against injustice," Morial said. "Our hearts are with Trayvon's parents and friends, who mourn the child they know and love, and with the Sanford community who deserve a full investigation of his death."

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The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are nearly 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.