"The guy who shot my son wasn't a police officer; he was a wannabe," she said tartly, to more than a bit of applause.
Fulton added that she's not opposed to gun ownership, either.
"If you think you need a gun, then have one," Fulton said. "But I don't believe in shooting innocent people and I don't think anyone who shoots an innocent person should get away with it."
Fulton opposes the "stand your ground" law Zimmerman used as his legal defense at his 2013 trial. She said merely feeling threatened doesn't give anyone the right to kill someone else. She added that she doesn't know of any black people who have been to use it as a successful defense, like Zimmerman did.
"Stand your ground laws only work for some people; it has been shown it does not work on behalf of African-Americans," Fulton said. "It needs to be amended or abolished entirely because it is so unfair."
Forgiving Zimmerman is possible someday, but she's just not there yet. She wouldn't even say his name.
"I haven't forgiven the man who shot my son … I have not gotten to that place where I'm able to forgive," she said.
Most of all, Fulton wanted the young people in the crowd — mostly Clemson students, but some other who traveled from as far away as East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina — to recognize that modern American life isn't as safe or free of racial animus as many people assume.
"How many of you go walking around with a telephone in your ear, not paying attention so you don't know who is watching you or who is lurking around the corner," Fulton said firmly. "You need to wise up. My son wasn't breaking any laws, hadn't committed any crimes and had never been arrested before."
Tuesday's event was hosted by Clemson President Jim Clements and put together by the university's Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center. The program included musical numbers from the Clemson University Gospel Choir and spoken word performances. Senior English major Jessica Houston drew a standing ovation for "Generation of Thieves," an account of her life as the daughter of a black father and white mother.
Follow Michael Eads on Twitter @MikeEads_AIM