Carol Medina, left, and her cousin Blanca Zavala attend a rally following the George Zimmerman verdict in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. 
 
 Carol Medina, left, and her cousin Blanca Zavala attend a rally following the George Zimmerman verdict in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jason Redmond/Reuters 
 
 George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, has been found not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin last year in Sanford, Fla. 
 
 George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, has been found not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin last year in Sanford, Fla. 
 
 George Zimmerman’s acquittal Saturday night on all charges in the killing of a black teenager, Trayvon Martin, sparked deep emotional reactions across the country Sunday, resurrecting an intense national debate about the role of race and racism in American life. 
 
 President Obama declared Martin’s killing an American tragedy but called for calm. 
 
 From church pews to street corners to the sprawling social-media universe, Americans expressed outrage, disgust and, in some cases, relief at the verdict. Rallies and vigils were held in Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles as well as in Sanford, Fla., where the killing and the trial took place. Others were scheduled in Boston, Detroit and Baltimore. 
 
 “I grew up in Georgia, and what happened to Trayvon would be the norm for any black man in Georgia,” said James Ealey, 73, recalling an earlier, more segregated nation. “That was the way it was. We are going backwards. We are not in a post-racial America just because of Barack Obama,” he said after Sunday services at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington. 
 
 The White House issued a statement in which Obama characterized Martin’s death as “a tragedy . . . not just for his family . . . but for America.” The president acknowledged that “passions may be running ever higher” in the wake of the verdict but urged citizens to remember that a jury had spoken. 
 
 “I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son,” Obama said. “And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities . . . if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. . . . That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.” 
 
 The verdict did little to close the stark divisions the case opened up among Americans along the jagged fissures of race and personal safety — starting when Martin was shot about 18 months ago. 
 
 A Zimmerman attorney argued throughout the case that race had little bearing on the initial confrontation or the outcome. But the case has played out against a racially charged backdrop since Zimmerman followed the unarmed Martin as he walked through his central Florida neighborhood and later said a confrontation led him to shoot Martin in self-defense. 
 
 As one side sees it, a racially biased criminal justice system was slow to charge Zimmerman and quick to believe a white man’s version of events. The other side sees in Zimmerman a law-abiding citizen who tried to protect his neighborhood and properly claimed his right to carry a weapon in self-defense. 
 
 Protesters across the country decried what they called the injustice of Zimmerman’s acquittal. They insisted that something must change in a court system and body of law that would allow an armed and self-appointed neighborhood watchman to pursue a black teenager, based on the suspicion that he was up to no good, and kill him. 
 
 A group called the Coalition for Justice for Trayvon hosted a rally Sunday afternoon at the Seminole County courthouse, where a jury of six women acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder. In Washington, critics of the verdict were pumping fists and chanting along the U Street corridor early Sunday morning. Among the placards they carried were these two messages: “Stop criminalizing black men” and “Only White Life is Protected in America.” 
 
 The NAACP began circulating a petition late Saturday asking Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to take action in the case as the group held its annual conference in Orlando. 
 
 “It is time for the Department of Justice to act,” the petition says. “The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin.” 
 
 During a vigil Sunday night at Howard University, students, community members and alumni honored Martin with a moment of silence and the hymn “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” Then Taylor Davis, a Howard student who is president of the school’s NAACP chapter, delivered a rousing address that had the crowd shouting in affirmation. 
 
 “We will honor the voice of the jury, but we will put ourselves in a position where they will honor our voices as well. Make noise,” she said. She urged her listeners to sign the petition and to register to vote so that they can cast ballots against lawmakers who support legislation like the “stand your ground” law that protected Zimmerman. 
 
 Although some people criticized the verdict, many argued that state investigators should have never prosecuted Zimmerman, because there was simply not enough evidence to prove who was the aggressor. Even legal analysts who said they strongly suspected that Martin was an innocent victim agreed that evidence proving so beyond a reasonable doubt — the standard that must be met for a guilty verdict — did not exist in this case. 
 
 Ultimately, there were no living witnesses other than Zimmerman. 
 
 Zimmerman said Martin punched him and threw him to the ground. A few neighbors testified that they heard yelps and saw an altercation but not who was doing the harm. A friend of Martin’s said he had called her on her cellphone minutes before his death, complaining that he was afraid of a “creepy-ass cracker” following him. 
 
 Attorneys for Zimmerman said at a post-verdict news conference that they were ecstatic at the decision and praised the jurors, saying they weighed the evidence carefully. But defense attorney Mark O’Mara complained that some in the public and the media turned Zimmerman into a civil rights cause — and a monster. 
 
 “If only those who decided to condemn Mr. Zimmerman as quickly and as viciously as they did would have taken just a little bit of time to find out who it was that they were condemning, it would never have happened,” O’Mara said. 
 
 Added another defense attorney, Don West: “I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful. . . . It makes me sad, too, that it took this long, under these circumstances, to finally get justice.” 
 
 The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation of Martin’s death shortly after his shooting. A department spokesman said Sunday that the investigation remains open and that officials are looking at whether there is enough evidence to pursue a civil rights case. 
 
 But for many Americans furious with the jury’s decision, Sunday was a day to look to their religious faith for comfort and understanding. 
 
 Among them was Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, who tweeted about her deep faith and quoted Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” 
 
 She also tweeted: “Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!” 
 
 Martin’s parents and relatives were “in church this morning, praying and turning to God, a higher authority, to make sense of it all,” family attorney Benjamin Crump said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.” The family cannot believe the verdict, Crump said. 
 
 They don’t fault the prosecutors, he said, but they are trying to make sense of the jury’s decision while continuing to mourn the 17-year-old’s death. Family members are trying to decide what to do next and will look into filing a civil lawsuit. They have set up a foundation in Martin’s memory and pledge to fight gun violence. 
 
 In sermons Sunday, many pastors mentioned the verdict and the pain it had caused their flocks. At some churches, members wore hooded sweatshirts in Martin’s honor to bring attention to racial stereotypes about young black men who wear such attire. 
 
 But Sunday was a day of celebration for supporters of Zimmerman, who believed he had properly defended himself from a threat and should never have been prosecuted. 
 
 His brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., tweeted early in the day: “Message from Dad: ‘Our whole family is relieved’. Today . . . I’m proud to be an American. God Bless America! Thank you for your prayers!” 
 
 Manuel Roig-Franza in Sanford, Fla., and Hamil R. Harris, Sari Horwitz and Julie Zauzmer in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| (CNN) -- Just steps away from the courthouse where a jury decided George Zimmerman's fate, demonstrators vowed that their fight wasn't over. 
 
 "Nationwide protest to demand justice," they chanted after the jury's not guilty verdict in Sanford, Florida, cleared Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. 
 
 It wasn't long before some appeared to be heeding their call. 
 
 Protesters rallied in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Baltimore, Detroit, New York and other cities. 
 
 "I came here today to stand in solidarity with Trayvon Martin's family, and everyone else searching for justice for him, and wanting to bring Zimmerman to justice," said Kellie Knight. She spoke at a protest at Union Square in New York City. 
 
 Catch up on the Zimmerman saga in one story 
 
 "If it can happen to her son, it can happen to anybody's son or daughter," she said. 
 
 Later, a crowd converged on Times Square, chanting: "This is what democracy looks like." 
 
 The verdict in the closely watched trial echoed far beyond the central Florida city's borders in a case that drew national attention and has been racially charged from the start. 
 
 "Only white life is protected in America," one protester in Washington shouted early Sunday. A crowd lined up outside the White House and sang "Amazing Grace." 
 
 Others chanted "No justice, no peace" and "Trayvon was murdered" as they marched, freelance photographer Michael Kandel told CNN's iReport. 
 
 The atmosphere was tense as demonstrators demanded that the government investigate further, Kandel said. 
 
 "They believe that this is a civil rights issue that must become the topic of a national conversation in the coming days," he said. "They did not believe justice had been served and were pleading for it." 
 
 In Dallas, protesters waved signs that said, "Justice system is a joke," CNN affiliate WFAA reported. 
 
 Some demonstrators in Denver, Baltimore and Detroit wore hooded sweatshirts like the one Martin wore when he was killed. 
 
 In Chicago's Daley Plaza, protesters vowed to use technology to push for change. 
 
 "It's the 21st century. We've got Twitter. We've got Instagram. We've got Facebook, we've got all these things that our elders did not have," one woman told the crowd. "We have resources." 
 
 Verdict doesn't end debate in Martin's death 
 
 Pushing for peace 
 
 President Barack Obama called Sunday for "calm reflection," acknowledging the Zimmerman case has stirs strong emotions. 
 
 "And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher," he said. 
 
 "I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. 
 
 "We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis," Obama said. 
 
 Most protests have been peaceful, though there were some reports of property damage at a protest in Oakland, California. 
 
 "I think we should, frankly, right now be celebrating the fact that we've seen a generation of young people respond by using our system, raising their voices, but not using their fists," NAACP President Benjamin Jealous told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. 
 
 Analysis: The race factor in Zimmerman's trial 
 
 The Rev. Jesse Jackson called for protests to continue, and to remain peaceful. 
 
 "There will be protests, but they must be carried out with dignity and discipline," he told CNN's "New Day." "Let no act discredit the legacy of Trayvon Martin. In the long run, we will prevail in the struggle for justice. Any act of violence could serve to undermine the innocent blood and moral authority of Trayvon. What will happen if there, in fact, are riots, it gives sympathy to Zimmerman, and discredits Trayvon. Trayvon deserves sympathy. Zimmerman and his school of thought does not." 
 
 Zimmerman, his family and their supporters have denied allegations of racism and argued that civil rights groups are being incendiary without facts to back up their claims. 
 
 "We have a verdict. I think we should really take a step back, respect that verdict, respect those six women -- an all-women jury, who had to make a really tough call and had to look at this outside all the emotions that were stirred up, and all of the racial innuendo that was stirred up, and just kind of look at the facts," Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., told CNN on Sunday morning. "And the facts spoke for themselves." 
 
 Some applauded the jury for siding with the neighborhood watch volunteer's claims that he shot the teen in self-defense. Others said prosecutors failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. 
 
 Some said the trial was a referendum on race that confirmed what they knew all along. 
 
 "That's our society," Terri Weems said as she headed into church in Washington on Sunday morning. "We expected not to be given justice. We haven't been dealt justice all this time. ... It's very disheartening." 
 
 Zimmerman could still be held responsible for Martin's death 
 
 Reactions from the pulpit 
 
 In churches around the country, the trial was a hot topic on Sunday. 
 
 Donna Holmes-Lockett, who was also heading into church in Washington, said she was surprised by the verdict. 
 
 Zimmerman should have been punished for the shooting, she said. 
 
 "As a mother of black males, I have three sons, it makes me nervous about the reaction of the public toward the situations. I felt like he should have got some kind of, something. He's just walking away free. He did shoot him. It's like it's OK," she said. "I think if it was a black crime on a black person, it would have been a different outcome." 
 
 At Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the pastor called for all parishioners under 18 years old to step forward in a tribute to Martin. 
 
 "The world needs your voice. Don't let anybody tell you that you're a nobody. We love you and we're counting on you," he told them. 
 
 Why this verdict? 
 
 "Nobody gets nervous seeing you talk bad and look bad. If you really want to strike fear in the hearts of your adversaries, if you really want to be a real threat, make sure God is in your heart (and) knowledge is in your head." 
 
 At churches with close ties to the case, Sunday was a time to reflect and pray. 
 
 "We're leaning in and depending on you this morning, oh God, for all of our help," a man said from the pulpit at the Allen Chapel AME Church in Sanford, where a town hall meeting was held after the shooting. "We're not depending on the Sanford Police Department. We're not depending on Seminole County Sheriff. We're not depending on the courts of Seminole County, Florida." 
 
 Several members of Martin's family attended services at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Opa-locka, Florida. 
 
 "We're very concerned, very hurt and very disappointed at this point, but we know in the end God will prevail and justice will be served," said Roberta Felton, a cousin. 
 
 While the Martin family grieves, Pastor Arthur Jackson III said, the community must prepare to take action. 
 
 "I believe this situation has not paralyzed us, has not traumatized us, but is mobilizing us," he said. "It has been a call to rally at the polls, to vote ... to change these unjust laws." 
 
 Trayvon's dad: My heart is broken, my faith is not 
 
 CNN's Victor Blackwell, Nick Valencia, Jonathan Helman, Jareen Imam, John Zarrella, Jennifer Hauser, Emanuella Grinberg and Alicia Stewart contributed to this report. ||||| CLOSE President Obama made a statement about the George Zimmerman trial verdict saying that he could have been Trayvon Martin 35 years ago. He said that the country needs to stop racial disparities. VPC 
 
 In his most extensive comments on race since the 2008 campaign, Obama asks nation to "wring" bias out of themselves 
 
 Barack Obama at his high school graduation, left, and slain teen Trayvon Martin. (Photo: Obama photo via the Obama Presidential Campaign; Trayvon Martin family photo) Story Highlights President Obama urges Americans to respect the verdict in the George Zimmerman case 
 
 Obama also said whites need to understand the realities of racial discrimination 
 
 The nation should do soul searching in the wake of the case, Obama says 
 
 President Obama said Friday that all Americans should respect a jury's acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, but white Americans should also understand that African Americans are pained by Trayvon's death and continue to face racial discrimination. 
 
 "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," the nation's first African-American president said during a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room. 
 
 Obama, who last year said the 17-year-old Florida shooting victim could just as easily have been his son, talked about how he has been subjected to casual prejudice. He also said African Americans need to address the problems of violence in their own communities. 
 
 African-American males know they are more likely to be both "victims and perpetrators of violence," Obama said, and "somebody like Trayvon Martin was probably statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else." 
 
 The problem is that so many people paint with a "broad brush" and see all black young men as potential criminals, Obama said. 
 
 A Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman on Saturday night of murder in the 2012 death of 17-year-old Trayvon. This was Obama's first on-camera comments on the case since the verdict was handed down Saturday night. He had had issued a written statement calling for calm on Sunday. 
 
 Obama has generally avoiding discussing racial issues -- today was probably his most extensive comments on the issue as president, reminiscent of his speech on race relations during the 2008 campaign. 
 
 FIRST TAKE: Obama leading from behind on race 
 
 In an extraordinary 19-minute appearance, Obama spoke personally and at times emotionally about the frustrations African-Americans have with the justice system, and the continuing racial divides that shadow the nation. 
 
 "I think it's important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away," Obama said, and "it's going to be important for all of us to do some soul-searching." 
 
 Obama told reporters that, like other African Americans, he has been followed by security guards while shopping, and has seen motorists lock their doors or women hold tighter to their purses as he walked near them. While didn't want to "exaggerate," Obama said "those sets of experiences inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida." 
 
 He cited racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and how blacks tend to be charged more often with drug offenses and sentenced to longer prison terms than whites. He also said it's fair to wonder what would have happened in Florida if the shooter had been a young African-American. 
 
 Obama said he respects the different views of the verdict, but the trial was conducted professionally, and "once the jury has spoken, that's how our system works." While demonstrations and peaceful protests are understandable, he said violence "dishonors what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family." 
 
 Said Obama: "Now, the question for me at least, and I think for a lot of folks, is where do we take this?" 
 
 While the Justice Department investigates whether to charge Zimmerman with civil rights violations in the case, Obama said state and local levels should examine whether changes to laws can head off violent confrontations. He cited laws to ban racial profiling, and proposed new kind of training for law enforcement in order "to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists." 
 
 The president also questioned the wisdom of Florida's "stand your ground" law, which, in the view of critics, all but encourages confrontation that could turn deadly. 
 
 Obama also suggested people consider whether Trayvon also had the right to stand his ground, adding: "Do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?" 
 
 The nation should also think about ways to "bolster and reinforce our African American boys," Obama said, saying there are too many kids out there who need help, but "are getting a lot of negative reinforcement." 
 
 Obama said all Americans should do "soul-searching" in the wake of the verdict and the reactions to it, but questioned whether a full-blown "national conversation" would do much good if too many politicians or pundits were involved. 
 
 "On the other hand, in families and churches and workplaces, there's the possibility that people are a little bit more honest, and at least you ask yourself your own questions about, am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can?" Obama said. 
 
 Borrowing a quote from Abraham Lincoln, Obama said political leaders should do whatever they can to encourage ''the better angels of our nature." rather than "using these episodes to heighten divisions." 
 
 Obama also said that Americans should realize that, over the course of decades, American race relations have improved, citing his daughters and their friends as examples. While that doesn't means "we're in a post-racial society," Obama said there is progress. 
 
 "I don't want us to lose sight that things are getting better," Obama said. 
 
 Obama also paid tribute to Trayvon's parents, saying that "I can only imagine what they're going through and it's remarkable how they've handled it." 
 
 In a statement, Trayvon's parents Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton said Friday, "we are deeply honored and moved that President Obama took the time to speak publicly and at length about our son, Trayvon. The President's comments give us great strength at this time." 
 
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– As the aftermath of George Zimmerman's acquittal continues to unfold—the Washington Post reports protests across the nation with more planned for the future—Obama has issued a statement, asking for Americans to "respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son," but also to ask themselves "if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence." The full statement, per CNN: "The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin." Earlier today, Republican Rep. Steve King accused Obama of politicizing the case on Fox News Sunday. "The president engaged in this and turned it into a political issue that should have been handled exclusively with law and order," he said, USA Today reports. But others are asking the Justice Department to get even more involved.