At
the forefront of the headlines has been the blatant and
apparent case of racial profiling and murder of Trayvon
Martin, an African American youth, because of his race.�
Complicit in this crime are George Zimmerman, the Sanford,
Florida Police and the so-called Stand Your Ground law.�
Now the Florida and US Justice Departments have been summoned
and pressured as a result of public outcry to get involved
and investigate why Zimmerman, a Neighborhood Watch leader,
was able to carry out a vigilante style murder of unarmed
Trayvon Martin without a police investigation.
I�ve
been paying attention to critical thinkers who offer different
perspectives on this case, such as Rev. Al Sharpton, anti-racism
scholar Tim Wise, the Southern Poverty Law Center, MSNBC�s
Melissa Harris Perry, Law scholar Kenji Yoshino, and Fox
journalist Geraldo Rivera.� From this I tried to develop
an understanding of how to contextualize this unthinkable
act of violence.
Race
is a complex issue in the US, and for many (especially
Euro-American, or white people) it is an extremely uncomfortable
subject to discuss.� For many African American�s and people
of color race is ever present in their minds.� Many news
reports this week included young African American men
who talked about their parents lecturing them about how
to behave in public and how to treat policemen.� There
is a long tradition of African Americans and other people
of color being subjected to racial profiling and having
to deal with a double standard in the American justice
system on a federal and local level.
To
most of us, this was a blatant act of racist aggression.�
There have even been white people who displayed solidarity
with Trayvon Martin in the �hoodie� protests.� But on
many blog sites and in news stories there were people
who defended Zimmerman�s actions.� Even Geraldo Rivera
argued that the hoodie was as responsible as Zimmerman
for Trayvon Martin�s death, which proves that even a university
educated person can make ridiculously stupid arguments.
We
live in a nation that thrives of fear of people of color
in general and specifically fear of African American males.�
It is evident that George Zimmerman feared or loathed
African American males.
While
I believe Zimmerman and the Sanford police department
should be investigated and convicted as co-conspirators
in Trayvon Martin�s murder, I think we should look at
how racism is pervasive in the justice system, in society
in general, and in how laws like �Stand Your Ground� are
fundamentally instrumental in perpetuating killings of
people of color by white people.� This incident heightens
awareness that the idea of living in a post-racial America
is nothing but a myth.
Racism
is often viewed as a personal act, perpetuated by ignorance
or an individual�s hatred of people of other racial or
ethnic groups.� But in reality it is a system of laws,
policies, philosophy, beliefs and actions.� When you evaluate
every sphere of American life, from education, employment,
incarceration, housing, health care and social status,
we are all designated to our positions in society because
of our racial or ethnic backgrounds as well as the historical
pattern of racial and ethnic violence that was employed
to build this nation.� Unfortunately, even the poorest
white people in American believe that they are superior
to any person of color (even the President) due to their
ethnic and racial heritage.� That is problematic because
even though white people may suffer from the same class
related issues, they still believe that their lives are
better for being white.� Where there could be unity of
all racial and ethnic groups around critical economic
and social issues there will not be as long as race is
a factor.
Race
is a social-construct.� It really has nothing to do with
a person�s color.� It all began with colonialism and continued
with the American system of slavery, genocide against
Native Americans, and displacement of Mexicans after the
conquest of northern Mexico.� It includes the colonialization
of Island nations such as Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the
Philippines.� Racism and ethnic oppression is also manifested
in the fear of the �other.�� Anyone who does not come
from the European/Anglo tradition is viewed as the other.
Today
Americans fear and loathe people from Africa, Asia, Arab
and Muslim countries, Latin America and the Caribbean
Islands.� Who is left?
Arizona,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and other states have enacted
racial profiling laws that target Latinas and Latinos.�
Racial profiling is prevalent anywhere that you find large
numbers of the �other.�� For example, in San Jose, California
in 2008 the police department was sued for racially profiling,
detaining and arresting disproportionate numbers of Latinos
in downtown San Jose.� Recently an Iraqi mother of five
children was beaten and found with a note saying �go back
to your country,� and she died from her wounds in El Cajon,
California.
The
murder of Trayvon Martin is wide reaching implications.�
As a result of the national attention brought to his case,
five New York policemen were fired as a result of an investigation
of the police murder of unarmed Sean Bell.� It has also
increased news coverage, blogging and commentaries about
race.� The discussion about race has to go further than
people having bad attitudes.� The discussion must address
the question of the systemic application of government,
corporate and societal laws, policies and actions that
systematically oppress people due to their race and ethnic
origin.
Immediately,
Trayvon Martin�s family deserves justice.� This case should
serve as an indictment of the justice system in Sanford,
Florida and in this nation.
BlackCommentator.com
Guest Commentator, Joe Navarro is a creative
writer, poet, educator and community activist who currently
lives in Hollister, California.� You can learn more about
Joe at joenavarro.weebly.com.
Click here
to contact Mr. Navarro.
