The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists in partnership with the George Edgecomb Bar Association will host a Community Forum on the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case at 7 p. m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at the University of South Florida’s Patel Center for Global Solutions.

The forum, which is free to the public, will examine Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law, media coverage of the Zimmerman trial and reflect on how the nation can move forward in the wake of the verdict.

Participants in a panel-style discussion will include: Dr. Carolyn Collins, president of the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP; Alec Hall, a federal public defender; Joe Caimino, a criminal defense attorney and the only Tampa resident on Gov. Rick Scott’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Task Force; and Ben Montgomery, a Tampa Bay Times reporter who covered the case.

The event’s moderator is Eric Deggans, Tampa Bay Times’ TV/media critic and author of “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.”

Jenise G. Morgan, President of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalist, said, “This should be an exciting discussion. We want to help the community understand the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. I attended the National Association of Black Journalists Convention last week in Orlando and it seems as though many of the reporters are confused about the law and how it works.

“This will be an opportunity for the community to come together to see where we’re going as we move forward.”

Parking for the evening is free.