“The system isn’t made for Blacks, especially little Black boys.”
That was a text message I received from a highly educated Black man who has lived his life as an upstanding citizen. He has never been arrested nor “in the system,” but he has been on the receiving end of some very discriminatory and racially-motivated acts. His message was but one of the dozens I received last weekend following the aftermath of the George Zimmerman verdict.
As I reread that specific text message a couple times over and let it penetrate my soul, I looked at my adorable 2-year-old nephew who was sitting contently on my lap.
I found myself wondering – what does all of this mean for him? How do we tell our children and loved ones that even if they do all the right things in life and follow all the rules, they are still in grave danger simply because of the color of their skin or the culture an unknowing stranger may assume they are part of?
And when we tell our children these harsh realities, what effects will it have on them? Will it break their spirit? Will they think they are inferior beings? Will they ever truly feel free?
When I learned that Zimmerman was found not guilty of killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, I was exasperated for a variety of reasons.
The journalist in me says Zimmerman’s actions were wrong – regardless of any other factor – because he initiated contact with Martin when 911 personnel told him otherwise. He took the law into his own hands when it wasn’t his responsibility to do so.
Aside from being a journalist at heart, I am a Black woman. And while I am generally the first person to frown when someone unfairly plays the race card, in the case of Zimmerman and Martin, race was a factor. It simply was. Race was a major factor in Zimmerman’s pursuit of Martin, it was obvious with some of the comments he made to the 911 operator on that fateful day, and it has been evident even after the not guilty verdict by the comments people such as Zimmerman’s brother Robert made on live TV.
The only way race is not a factor is the killing itself. If Martin was white, Hispanic, or Asian, Zimmerman would still be wrong for killing them, because the unarmed kid was being followed for doing something that was perfectly legal: walking down the street. The reality is, however, that if Martin were white, Hispanic or Asian; Zimmerman probably wouldn’t have followed him. Zimmerman most likely would not have profiled a white, Hispanic, or Asian teenager. And that’s why race is a factor in this case.
So back to my initial question. What does all this mean to little Black boys who, like my nephew, will grow up to be Black teenagers and Black men? What do we say to those kids?
I imagine the conversation should go something like this:
“You are a special person, you are loved, and you are capable of being whatever you want in life as long as you work hard and follow the rules. However, in life there are ignorant people who unfairly judge others, and they may stereotype you, or they may even do or say mean things to you – things you don’t deserve.
“What you must do is not let it break your spirit; you must continue to be the person you inherently are and you must be proud of yourself! You must know that you are inferior to no one but God and that you deserve the absolute best. But, you must also be realistic. You must be careful of the situations you find yourself in and you must always think carefully about decisions you are faced with.
“Sometimes, things will be out of your control, but those are the times in which you must rely on God the most. Trust your instincts and understand that even if bad things unfairly happen to you, there is a lesson to be discovered from that experience. If not by you, by someone else.”
There are multiple lessons learned from Martin’s unfair demise: (1) We have a flawed justice system. (2) No matter what some people may think (even while having a Black president), racism still exists. (3) Peaceful activism can produce positive dialogue that transcends race and ethnicity. (4) We must use Martin’s death as a call to action to correct the laws; work hard to reduce stereotypes; and strive to individually make this country a better, safer place to live for all people.
I’m not sure what the future holds for Zimmerman, but I am sure that his act was a true American travesty. Trayvon Martin is the modern-day Emmitt Till. Until society in general changes its mindset and laws become more fair and consistent, we will continue to repeat history … over and over again!
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
