As you now know, there is a 17-year-old Florida boy whose death has rocked the nation. That young man’s parents are left without their son and the world is now absent of another Black male whose true potential will never be fully realized because someone took the law into their own hands.
During the final minutes of his life, Trayvon Martin was doing what most kids his age do: he purchased junk food, was talking on the phone with his girlfriend, and he was walking in a middle-class neighborhood.
The latter item is what seemingly resulted in Martin’s death: simply walking in a neighborhood…while Black.
It’s unfortunate but everyday Black males are perceived as being thugs or “up to no good,” largely in part because of the color of their skin and the type of clothes they wear. George Zimmerman, the man who shot the fatal bullet into Martin’s chest was quick to point out that the teenager was wearing a hoodie. A hoodie. The same item of clothing your child or some other youth you know probably wears on a regular basis.
How is a parent of a young Black male supposed to instill confidence and a sense of belonging in their child if something as simple as walking down the street eating candy and talking on the phone can result in an “unintentional” homicide?
“I fear for my son’s life,” one Indianapolis mother stated on my Recorder voicemail. “I’m afraid that he will be unfairly targeted because he is Black and male. The sad thing is my son is scared too. Since that Florida boy’s death, my son feels like he is a target wherever he goes.”
The feelings that woman and her son feel are probably echoed all over this country by other parents and Black males. That says a lot about our current society.
As I’ve reflected on Martin’s death, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind in those final minutes.
He was probably thinking:
“Why is this guy following me?”
“Am I about to get robbed?”
“Is this guy one of those perverted people who kidnaps kids?”
“Am I about to get jumped?”
“There aren’t any red and blue lights on his vehicle so he isn’t the police.”
“Who can help me?”
“What should I do?”
As I think of all the things that probably passed through that young man’s mind, I am overcome with grief. The irony of this whole ordeal is that Zimmerman has yet to be arrested for the Feb. 26 incident because Florida has a law called “stand your ground” that allows someone to use deadly force if “he is in a place he has a right to be and feels reasonably threatened with serious harm.”
The question is did Zimmerman “reasonably” feel threatened?
I think not, primarily because Zimmerman was the one following Martin. How can someone following another person feel threatened? That innocent boy is the one who was threatened.
Since the stand your ground law went into effect, Florida reports of justifiable homicides have tripled.
While in this instance, I firmly believe that Trayvon Martin was unjustly stereotyped, I also think the case is a clear violation of one’s civil rights. If Martin were white, Asian, or Hispanic, he had the right to be in that neighborhood. Zimmerman’s actions violated that right.
I’m not sure what the outcome of this tragedy will be, as federal prosecutors and the FBI are investigating the incident and a jury will assemble on April 10. What I am sure of, however, is the gravity of this situation. It won’t go away anytime soon.
If there are any good things that have come from this incident, it’s that wrongdoings and wacky laws have been exposed and activism from all races has soared. I’m pleased to see law students, commentators and activists joining forces to bring about justice. Doing so is the only way we can evoke positive change that can lead to fewer lives being lost.
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
