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Pass The Popcorn: 'Fruitvale Station' Star Reacts To Trayvon Martin Ruling + Trailer

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY.

Fruitvale Station - a film about the life and death of slain Oakland man Oscar Grant - has arrived on the heels of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who was accused of the murder of slain teen Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin's killing and the subsequent discussions and proceedings surrounding it have reignited the outcry that accompanied Grant's death in 2009 as people stand to oppose the questionable policies, social stigma and glaring lack of respect for human life that contributed to their deaths. The cast and crew of Fruitvale Station, which opened on July 12th, have issued a public response to the jury's decision. Michael B. Jordan, who stars as the 22 year-old Grant, poured his heart out during a Q&A for the film in Los Angeles on the day the verdict was read:

"My heart hurts so bad right now. I wasn't going to come after I found out about George Zimmerman getting acquitted. It broke me up," Jordan said. "That's why I think this film means so much, because it keeps happening again and again. [We must] learn how to treat each other better and stop judging one another just because we're different. It’s not just a black and white thing, it's a people thing. It's the only way that things are going to take the necessary steps to move in the right direction so things can get better because I don't think it's ever gonna stop, but something's got to f--king change."

Writer/director Ryan Coogler issued a response to the Trayvon Martin and Oscar Grant comparisons that was less emotionally charged but no less concerned with the very pressing and politically sensitive subject matter during a Q&A for the film in New York:

“Trayvon had love in his life. Trayvon had potential in his life. He had good things in his life ... There are millions of Americans that don't see Trayvon's potential," Coogler said. "They look at him and see him as a thug who got what he deserved. You know he was a 17-year-old boy that couldn't even vote yet, had never been arrested, never had a criminal record. My question is, why do people look at him and see that? We look at him and see something else. We look at him and see us."

Check the trailer for Fruitvale Station below. Fruitvale Station is currently playing in select theaters across the country. Scroll down to purchase tickets for screenings in your area.

>>>Purchase tickets to see Fruitvale Station at FruitvaleFilm.com

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