Tulsa Central High School students and community members will peacefully rally Thursday morning in support of Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old killed in Florida last month and his family.

Central’s student council organized the rally to, they say, "demonstrate how hoodies do not define students’ value or determine their future."

The student council petitioned Central's administration for permission to hold the rally.

In their letter, the students said, "As a school, Central has defied stereotypes and beat all odds by excelling academically, artistically, and athletically. It is our hope to continue to defy odds with or without hoodies. We are Trayvon Martins, we are his age, some are his race and we all identify today with his hoodie. We are Trayvons and we are somebody."

Why is the school district sanctioning a rally in support of Martin when the facts of the case are still being sorted out?

"We  just didn't want students walking out of class to have something and interrupting class time," says Tulsa Public Schools spokesman Chris Payne.

"(The students) made such a great case for wanting to have (the rally), we saw no reason to get in the way of that." 

State and community leaders State Rep. Jabar Shumate, City Councilors Jack Henderson and G.T. Bynum and TPS Board of Education Member Dr. Lana Turner-Addison have been invited to attend as well.