The killing of Trayvon Martin is a national tragedy and his death has captured the attention of millions. Last week we learned that George Zimmerman will be charged with second degree murder in Trayvon's killing.
It's no time to rejoice.
Anytime an unarmed child or young adult is killed, we are rightly outraged in our society. It shouldn't matter whether the victim is White, Black, Latino or of any other racial or ethnic group. The reality in this country is that far too many young people who are killed are Black. And young Trayvon's killing has drawn our attention because he was killed by a man who feared him and may not have even been aware that he feared him because of the color of his skin and the hoodie he wore.
Last month, President Obama urged all Americans to do some "soul searching" to figure out why this happened. In his response to the tragedy, he personalized the tragedy by saying that if he had a son, "he would look like Trayvon." For many Black people, Trayvon Martin's death is yet another reminder that our sons, nephews, brothers, cousins, etc. are vulnerable. We know them as students who aspire to be doctors or entrepreneurs or, even President of the United States. But a George Zimmerman or a New York City Police Officer sees something else entirely.
Let's be honest, we see daily images on the news of young Black men arrested for one crime or another. And we know that some of our Black neighborhoods have high crime rates. Our jails are full of young Black and Latino men. So too often we see a perpetrator instead of a kid.
The bottom line is that fear is killing our kids.
And we have taken our fear to the level of laws. In Florida, where Trayvon Martin was killed, it's the infamous "Stand Your Ground" law that says it's okay to kill someone rather than flee if you are afraid for your safety. In New York it's "stop and frisk" laws, also making national news now. Trayvon's death followed eighteen-year-old Ramarley Graham's killing by New York City police, who chased him there, kicked down his door and shot him at close range. Apparently, Ramarley did not have a weapon either. Was he dealing drugs? (The police claim he was flushing something down the toilet). We don't know. If he were, he was still unarmed. Ramarley was less obviously "innocent" although we don't know he was guilty. Nevertheless, we shouldn't see his story and Trayvon's story as separate.
For Black Americans, we fear crime and want police protection from it, but we also know that our young people are being criminalized simply because of the way they look. The Center for Constitutional Rights reports that in 2011, of the over 684,000 people who were stopped by police in New York City, 87% were Black and Latino residents. 87%! This is a 600% increase in stop and frisks over the ten year history of the program, with few weapons or drug recoveries reported from them.
Rush Limbaugh said that the Travyon Martin tragedy isn't about race. Rick Santorum, erstwhile Republican Presidential Primary candidate of "I don't want to help Black people" fame, has called the shooting "horrible" but defends the law that alleged shooter George Zimmerman argues to defend his actions - the "Stand Your Ground" law. These are the people that on one hand deny that race matters but on the other hand use race as a wedge to make it more difficult for us to have a reasoned and respectful conversation about what laws protect us and what laws make us murderers or the murdered.
We are a country of tremendous racial and ethnic richness and we are also a country with many racial and ethnic divisions. Fear is one of the primary causes of these divisions. All of us have experiences with unfairness in life. But racial fear creates a kind of exclusion that is life threatening for Black men and boys. As a result, Black people are much less optimistic about the prospects of this country getting beyond racial division than are white people. According to an August 2011 USA Today/Gallup poll, 55% of Blacks were not optimistic that we would ever get beyond race in this country compared to 44% percent of whites. I wonder if those numbers would be worse today. Rational laws that recognize that we need police and laws that protect us all, including Black men and boys, could help create a new optimism in this country for what we all want it to be - a fair one where we all have a chance to grow up and thrive. Then, we can rejoice.
Follow Maya Wiley on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mayawiley
Rick Lowery, Ph.D.: Race, Guns and Standing Our Ground
Rev. G. Jude Geiger: White Rage
Terry Krepel: Brent Bozell Tries to Enlist Congress in His Vendetta Against NBC
Why are you upset about the 87% stop and search figure, but not at all upset that that blacks account for 65% of homicides despite being only 12% of the population? That is absurd.
And why isnt there more outrage about these hate crimes: http://www.newnation.org/NNN-Black-on-White.html
Havent heard a peep...I wonder why...
"Kind after kind" is how it goes.
When groups of people, step-up and admit, YES...some people, because of their skin color are treated better than others...and when another group admits, that yes ...WE ARE ANGRY...how do we fix the situation nothing will change. When EVERYONE, can deal with what's WITHIN..then maybe ...we can talk about racial issues...and ONLY,........ THEN.!!
Why is that? And why does that not matter? Shouldn't interacial murders committed by blacks against whites be considerably less?
I'm against racial profiling by police, and I think the prison statistics of race are a travesty. But it seems blacks are profiling whites in violent crimes because of the statistical significance. If whites make up 70% of the population and blacks make up 10%... and whites are the ones with a higher racial bias (or flat out racist) Shouldnt the white on black crimes six times as high instead of the black on white crimes being higher? Thats to say if it were really about race.
I'm really interested in knowing to better understand why the conception is whites hate black people so much and are considered to be racist when the numbers point that black criminals are 6 times as likely to be violent towards whites than the other way around.
In all fairness and in genuine discourse. I know all about the disparity in lifestyles and all about the lower forms of prejudice, but there seems to a greater animosity towards caucasians when it comes to following through on violence.
how does america create an america that is fair for all its people?
signed, a retired concerned black veteran of both the military and law enforcement.
Number one lie is that the issues are black and white.That is a smokescreen.While the heels of whites may dig in a little deeper,there is not another group,race,creed or religion that would ever adapt the American black culture as something good to be embraced.People dont hate people because of their looks or skin color.
When people will begin to be honest about why and how AAs find themselves generation after generation LOSING ground to EVERY other group,not whites alone,only then will the REAL and honest solutions happen...and not until then.
No one in this country should have to fear others. We are all tring to make this nation a great nation are we not. Yes crime will always persist. Yes hate will not be overcome as long as we are so imperfect. God will judge that. But the laws of this land will make this right or wrong depending if they see truth. In my book , who knoiws what transpired? Who and why is it even a point if Mr. Zimmerman had blood? Did the young man have a gun? Was he that much a threat? I say no
were you sir so passionate about the traitorous war begun by Bush and Cheney in the previous administration that resulted in the countless deaths of brave ordinary americans?
the silence on the RIGHT of that war for profit is truly deafening.
Stop looking to Hollywood for what life should be. Think of it as what life can be with the effort it takes to get to that sort of life. I see so many young people that are rudderless and looking for identity without seeking substance. The indivdual now has to be accepted by a larger group to feel good about themselves. The "content of your character" is what you need to concern yourself with.
It was painfully obvious to me that this was a bizarre, contrived media circus from the beginning but I hoped it might evolve into a teachable moment and transformative movement. The Martins, gracious and dignified despite their tragic loss, have made it abundantly clear that the justice they were seeking is now in progress. George Zimmerman has voluntarily submitted to arrest and apologized. The Special Prosecutor, Angela Corey, was highly impressive, convincingly sincere and gallantly stalwart in presenting the charges.
At this point, we should be alert and diligent in ensuring that due process takes its course towards a just resolution of this specific tragedy. Our ultimate goal should be the eradication of ignorance and the restoration of families. George Zimmerman, without doubt, fired the shot that killed Trayvon on February 26, 2012 but, in a more comprehensive and introspective analysis, many people contributed to his "death", literally and figuratively, when they (we) continued to tolerate, condone and, perhaps, foster the destruction of American families at every socio-economic level.
Very well said.
Have a nice day.
http://youtu.be/EtWdvYIF0Qo