George Zimmerman's dad lashes out at 'racist' Black community in e-book

Robert Zimmerman Sr., the father of Florida murder suspect George Zimmerman, unleashed a host of accusations of racism at many segments of the African-American community in an e-book released on Friday, Think Progress reported.

In the book, the older Zimmerman denounces the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) as promoting "racism and hatred for their own, primarily financial, interests" and writes that "without prejudice and racial divide, the NAACP would simply cease to exist."

The author's son is accused of second-degree murder in the February 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. George Zimmerman, who is biracial, contends that he shot the teen, who was black, dead in self-defense after being attacked.

In the book, Robert Zimmerman calls the attorneys representing Martin's family "the scheme team" in the book and accuses Martin's funeral director of being a "racial activist and former head of the local NAACP."

He also insists that racism in America is "flourishing at the insistence of some in the African American Community," and names the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Basketball Association, the United Negro College Fund and the Black Chamber of Commerce, among other groups, as perpetrators.

To illustrate his son's character, Robert Zimmerman also recounts police interviews with two African-American neighbors following Martin's death.

"One neighbor said that she knew George very well; nothing about him being a 'racist' was true," the suspect's father writes. "Further, to this day, she would trust George with her life. Another neighbor said while they were moving in, George was the only individual of any race that introduced his self, providing his phone number and asked that he or [his wife] Shellie be contacted if ever needed."

Reuters reported on June 13 that no jurors have been selected in George Zimmerman's trial. Shellie Zimmerman faces perjury charges for allegedly telling court officials the couple had no money when they actually had more than $130,000 in contributions from online donors.