Trayvon Martin
FYI - Tomorrow, a rally and march for Trayvon Martin sponsored by the NAACP, Mothers for Police Accountability, American Friends Service Committee, and other activist groups.
Rally at 4pm Sunday the 25th
Greater Mt.Baker Baptist Church,
2425 South Jackson Street
March at 4:30pm to
MLK Memorial Park,
2200 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Trayvon Martin was 17. He had friends, was bright (but got in trouble for tardiness) and had a close-knit family even though his parents had divorced. He had played football but quit. He continued volunteering at the team's concession stand for months anyway. Three weeks ago he was visiting his father's fiancee's home and went out to get some treats at a nearby convenience store. He was shot to death coming back home by a neighborhood watch guy.
So why bring this up here? Because I've talked in the past about the need for teens to learn how to deal with police officers. Things happen.
I suspect that Trayvon's parents had what many African-American parents who have teen sons call The Talk. Many of us who have teen sons have our own talk.
One day your son is a little boy. Then, rather quickly, they grow, sprout hair on their faces and get deeper voices. But that process does not make them men even though many of them look much older than their years. But to a stranger on the street, they all look like big scary teenagers who are looking for trouble.
It's not true, of course. But really, if you saw 3-4 teen girls walking together or 3-4 boys walking together, which do you think would make the average person nervous?
The Talk. I talked to my sons about being respectful to police officers, answering questions about who you are and where you are going but asking for a lawyer if they made you go to a police station. And you never, ever, run from a cop.
From friends and listening to NPR this week, I know parents of African-American teen boys have a much more difficult job. Their sons are regarded with much more suspicion. Don't loiter, don't go anywhere alone, don't reach into your pocket when speaking with an adult you don't know.
One mother on NPR said she told her son, who is on his high school track team, not to go running anywhere but at the track. A black teen who is running can't be just...a kid out running.
And to kick it up a notch, we now have Gerald Rivera saying this:
“The hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.”
He later said, ”Trayvon Martin, God bless him, an innocent kid, a wonderful kid, a box of Skittles in his hand didn’t deserve to die, but I’ll bet you money if he didn’t have that hoodie on that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent an aggressive way.”
Rivera concluded, “there is no rehabilitating the hoodie…unless it’s raining out or you’re at a track meet, leave the hoodie home.” It is worth noting that it had been raining the night Trayvon died.
Now I personally don't like hoodies pulled up in schools. I think teachers and staff need to see students' faces. But who blames an article of clothing for someone's death?
I grew up in the '60s and '70s. Remember those days when any guy with long hair was instantly a hippie and regarded with suspicion (probably was using pot).
Teens like having a look and the currently popular look is...the hoodie. It's warm, it keeps rain off and, of course, you can hide away. Teens like to hide their faces sometimes.
But if only Mr. Zimmerman, as the adult, had said, "Hi, I'm with the neighborhood watch group. Where are you going tonight, young man?"
And Trayvon would have said, "Back to my father's house at XXX X Street to watch a basketball game."
That would have been it but instead Zimmerman approached him suspiciously and aggressively.
Where does that leave us? We are once again a country roiled over race. Would Zimmerman have reacted the same why if Trayvon had been a white teenager with a hoodie pulled up?
But, if you have a son, after you have the sex talk, the drug and alcohol talk, have the "teenaged boys can look scary to some people" talk.
Rally at 4pm Sunday the 25th
Greater Mt.Baker Baptist Church,
2425 South Jackson Street
March at 4:30pm to
MLK Memorial Park,
2200 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Trayvon Martin was 17. He had friends, was bright (but got in trouble for tardiness) and had a close-knit family even though his parents had divorced. He had played football but quit. He continued volunteering at the team's concession stand for months anyway. Three weeks ago he was visiting his father's fiancee's home and went out to get some treats at a nearby convenience store. He was shot to death coming back home by a neighborhood watch guy.
So why bring this up here? Because I've talked in the past about the need for teens to learn how to deal with police officers. Things happen.
I suspect that Trayvon's parents had what many African-American parents who have teen sons call The Talk. Many of us who have teen sons have our own talk.
One day your son is a little boy. Then, rather quickly, they grow, sprout hair on their faces and get deeper voices. But that process does not make them men even though many of them look much older than their years. But to a stranger on the street, they all look like big scary teenagers who are looking for trouble.
It's not true, of course. But really, if you saw 3-4 teen girls walking together or 3-4 boys walking together, which do you think would make the average person nervous?
The Talk. I talked to my sons about being respectful to police officers, answering questions about who you are and where you are going but asking for a lawyer if they made you go to a police station. And you never, ever, run from a cop.
From friends and listening to NPR this week, I know parents of African-American teen boys have a much more difficult job. Their sons are regarded with much more suspicion. Don't loiter, don't go anywhere alone, don't reach into your pocket when speaking with an adult you don't know.
One mother on NPR said she told her son, who is on his high school track team, not to go running anywhere but at the track. A black teen who is running can't be just...a kid out running.
And to kick it up a notch, we now have Gerald Rivera saying this:
“The hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.”
He later said, ”Trayvon Martin, God bless him, an innocent kid, a wonderful kid, a box of Skittles in his hand didn’t deserve to die, but I’ll bet you money if he didn’t have that hoodie on that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent an aggressive way.”
Rivera concluded, “there is no rehabilitating the hoodie…unless it’s raining out or you’re at a track meet, leave the hoodie home.” It is worth noting that it had been raining the night Trayvon died.
Now I personally don't like hoodies pulled up in schools. I think teachers and staff need to see students' faces. But who blames an article of clothing for someone's death?
I grew up in the '60s and '70s. Remember those days when any guy with long hair was instantly a hippie and regarded with suspicion (probably was using pot).
Teens like having a look and the currently popular look is...the hoodie. It's warm, it keeps rain off and, of course, you can hide away. Teens like to hide their faces sometimes.
But if only Mr. Zimmerman, as the adult, had said, "Hi, I'm with the neighborhood watch group. Where are you going tonight, young man?"
And Trayvon would have said, "Back to my father's house at XXX X Street to watch a basketball game."
That would have been it but instead Zimmerman approached him suspiciously and aggressively.
Where does that leave us? We are once again a country roiled over race. Would Zimmerman have reacted the same why if Trayvon had been a white teenager with a hoodie pulled up?
But, if you have a son, after you have the sex talk, the drug and alcohol talk, have the "teenaged boys can look scary to some people" talk.
Comments
Seattle mom
Ann
If this was a white teen in a hoodie then no I absolutely don't think he would have been shot.
this is way more about racism than ageism. hard to tease that apart with young black males though because the biases, the hatred, when young and black is combined is exponential in my opinion.
this is about racism. and not just by Zimmerman. by the whole damn system. it's not about clothing.
unjust, heartbreaking, and infuriating beyond words.
rest in peace, Trayvon.
foroccupyingjsc
This is not about white parents with teenagers. They have what is called the talk--staying respectful to avoid trouble.
Black and Latino parents have to have "The Talk"--how to help your child stay alive.
Let's not feel the pain to the point where the racism that is the central issue of this case becomes a side issue.
Look at the statistics. Stay real.
--enough already
And it's not just black and latino boys. This "talk" was part of driver's education when I grew up in the late seventies in L.A. There was a part of the class which was essentially "How to survive a police stop".
Yes, this was L.A. where the police were notoriously violent ("Bang! Bang! - Police!") but the rules apply everywhere.
Overaggressive police have always been an issue--there are certainly cases to back this up. I have personally experienced such
individuals in uniform.
The main issue in this case is the targeting of black and latino boys by law enforcement and pretend law enforcement. Google Cornel West for more information.
Focusing on a generalized problem minimizes the injustice directed at this targeted group. Until we effectively identify and admit the problem--black and latino males are targets--we won't begin to have a solution.
--enough already
I have a (white) son the same exact age as his black cousin. As teens they hung out together and more than a few times his cousin would be subjected to suspicion while he was not, even though they were together, doing the same thing. It's absolutely about race.
"Trayvon=Emmett Till" is a poster I saw yesterday. I'd have to agree.
Tired
Just want to point out that Zimmerman had no authority as a neighborhood watch guy. He could ask Trayvon this question and it would be up to Trayvon if he wanted to answer.
One acceptable answer would have been "None of your business!!"
and would Zimmerman ask a white teen where he was going or just assume he belonged. we all know the answer to that.
foroccupyingjsc
My son was wearing a hoodie 10 years ago. It's ubiquitous clothing for most young people no matter their skin color. Teens are teens until the police profile them.
10 year ago my son was walking home with friends when they pulled over by SPD in Wallingford. All of them were slammed against the patrol car and given a warning. I had the talk with the other parents and our boys. One conclusion. It helped that my teen looks Irish. He probably saved his friends who are Filipino from harsher treatment. From that day all of us feared for our boys. Mine was just roughed up. For his friends it could've been worse. If we were living in Lake City or the Valley, worse can be jail or being shot in the back.
Mr White
Here in the PNW, we have the illusion of inclusion. We don't really talk about race, we talk around it. We like to believe that every child of color has the same opportunity as every white child. We like to believe racism rears its ugly head every once in a while.
On this blog I've seen many posts that actually try to deny there's racism in the classroom.
Wake up please!
I personally deal with racism daily. I am around people every day who swear they are not racist until that one thing happens that reveals either their ignorance or their bigotry.
I worry that my 2 beautiful black boys will not outlive me. I know that when they become teens, they will be seen in a completely different light. It won't matter how educated they are, what family they come from, how neatly dressed they are or how polite they are. They will be a N***** to somebody out there who will be all to happy to remind them of that.
The sooner we all recognize this, the faster we can start truly healing and ridding our country of hateful people.
Check out this great article from Diversity Inc. Magazine. There's also a link within the article that's has more details.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrvg--3PL7w
24 states with stand your ground laws
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/nra-trayvon-martin
-JC.
It's nearly impossible to deny racism when we see a case like Trayvon Martin. But you find many more subtle points of racism everywhere, starting with racially segregated advanced learning programs, complete with racially based testing and expensive pay for admissions testing. Juxaposed to that - we have highly disproportionate special education programs and the often advocated for - "intervention" programs targeting minority students with inferior education. If we are to look racism straight in the eye - that all needs to be looked at more deeply than it currently is.
-reader
-another reader
That's a stretch and frankly exploitative of a tragedy.
Please make your argument against advanced learning elsewhere.
Enough
-reader
I've long wondered if it's a combination of factors-not enough recruiting, parents who don't want their kids to be tokens, parents who want their kids closer to home, AL black kids going private, and other factors. I think institutional racism does play a part though. How can it not? look at all the comments on just this one blog about the "struggling" kids when South parents have pointed out more than a few times that not ALL of them fit that label.
curious