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Zimmerman’s African-American Defense Intern Addresses Racist Comments

By on July 15, 2013

A case initially represented as an issue of racism finally reaches a verdict and the jurors in the trial of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was found not guilty. Protests have erupted and the case has paved the forum for debates on gun laws and race in America, but defense intern, Channa Lloyd, says that’s not what the trial was about.

The 3rd year law student’s first question to defense attorney, Mark O’Mara, before she accepted her position in the trial was if Zimmerman was indeed a racist. When Lloyd was asked why that was important to her, she replied: “Being African American, even if he [Zimmerman] was a client in need of representation, I don’t know that I would have been able to divorce that, and you have to have the proper representation and people who can do that.” Lloyd was a volunteer in the case, and worked for free in the duration of the trial.

When asked how she knew where Zimmerman stood on the basis of racism, the 34-year-old replied, “I can just kind of tell. I’ve been African-American, and you encounter people who are racist; I just know that he’s not.”

Check out her interview with CNN below:

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  • Mrs. Howard

    I would like to say to you, Channa Lloyd, you allowed yourself to be used in such a way that no matter how you would like to look at it, as a pawn in their game. You sitting on his defense team showed the biased jury that there was NO way George could be racist and have a black law student on his defense team… and to shake his hand and smile knowing he killed Trayvon for no other reason than walking while black is a disgrace on your part. Shame on you! I sincerely hope Georgie moves to your neighborhood and becomes captain of the neighborhood watch program. It is also my hope that one day you will have a son because he will look like Trayvon and maybe, just maybe you will realize just how important the role your presences played in this verdict. You are on the wrong side of history sweetie… and you did it for free…SMH!