The man in the car next to me is on the phone with the police. Just beyond him on the grass, a teenager in a hoodie is moving erratically. He takes off and the man chases after him, despite the police urging him to sit tight. It is, of course, the story of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. In the three years since Martin's death, the #blacklivesmatter movement that sprung up in its wake has gone international and come to encompass many more unjust killings. It's a story with which Americans have become sadly familiar. But it was still jarring to be there at the moment of Martin's death. Inside a Samsung Gear virtual reality headset at the River VR startup accelerator SXSW expo, I watched grainy security camera footage of Martin buying Skittles and juice at a 7-Eleven. Then my perspective jumped to an animated recreation of Martin and Zimmerman's first encounter. After the two figures ran out of view, I was transported into the apartments of witnesses as real 911 audio played. I... - Web2024