( CNN ) -- Vowing to keep fighting for his son Trayvon -- even after the man who killed him , George Zimmerman , was acquitted of murder -- Tracy Martin said Wednesday that his family wants to turn `` negative energy '' surrounding their plight `` into a positive . '' `` There 's nothing that we can do to bring Trayvon Martin back , '' Tracy Martin said in Washington . `` But if there 's something that we can do ... to help other families from going through this , then we 're here . '' Martin spoke at a Capitol Hill forum entitled , `` The Status of Black Males : Ensuring Our Boys Mature Into Strong Men , '' which is the first such event run by the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys . The group 's co-chair , Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton , explained the forum aimed to address `` issues ... spread across the spectrum of the life of black males in America today , clothed in stereotypes from their years as boys , as youth , and finally as men . '' `` We seek a society that does not define black men and boys , but allows African-American men and boys to define themselves as individuals , '' said Holmes Norton , who is a nonvoting member of Congress representing the District of Columbia . The evening of February 26 , 2012 , Trayvon Martin was walking back from a convenience store to the Sanford , Florida , home of his father 's fiancee when he got into a confrontation with Zimmerman . The 17-year-old ended up dead , a shooting Zimmerman argued was in self-defense . The case soon captivated the nation 's attention , shining a light on matters such as race and gun laws , including when or if a person should be able to legally shoot another . Tens of thousands attended rallies demanding Zimmerman 's arrest and accused him of wrongly profiling Martin as a troublemaker . Many more people were glued to their televisions during Zimmerman 's second-degree murder trial . That trial ended with a not guilty verdict late on Saturday , July 13 , vindicating Zimmerman 's supporters , who believed his actions were understandable for a man who feared for his life . This sentiment was n't shared by many at Wednesday 's event on Capitol Hill . Still , Holmes Norton said she hopes Martin 's story -- which she said has `` focused attention on black males as nothing else has in decades '' -- will compel Americans to rethink how they look at black boys and men . Zimmerman helps family out of overturned SUV . One of those is Trayvon Martin himself , whom Tracy Martin said has had `` his name slandered and demonized . '' `` My message to the world ( is ) that we wo n't let this verdict sum up who Trayvon was , '' the father said . `` I vow to do everything in my power not to give up my fight for him . '' Central to that effort is the Trayvon Martin Foundation , which was founded in March 2012 by Tracy Martin and Trayvon 's mother , Sybrina Fulton . According to its website , the nonprofit group 's purpose is to `` create awareness of how violent crime impacts the families of the victims and to provide support and advocacy for those families . '' Harkening back to his own child 's violent death , Tracy Martin said Wednesday that he hopes parents , mentors and others nationwide will ask themselves what they can do `` to prevent this from happening to your child . '' `` We 've taken that negative energy ... and we 're trying to turn it into a positive , '' Tracy Martin said , referring to the uproar over his son 's death and later Zimmerman 's acquittal . `` What we can do tomorrow -- as a nation , as a people -- to stop someone else 's child from being killed is certainly a positive . ''
Trayvon Martin 's father speaks at a Capitol Hill event run by members of Congress . Tracy ' says he wo n't ` ` give up my fight for '' his son , who he says was ` ` demonized '' The father says his son wants ` ` to stop other families from going through '' what they did .