Dream Defenders was launched by organizers fighting back after the Trayvon Martin shooting. In protest of the killing, they occupied the state capitol for over a month. As part of the Statewide Alignment Group, Dream Defenders helped win Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to more than 1 million Floridians. They have expanded and deepened their base to 8 counties, catalyzing Black and Brown youth organizing across the state with a focus on policing, bail reform, and advancing a collective statewide strategy around state attorney and sheriff races.