We have fallen in love with this boy as if he were our own son. We look at him and we see our brown children who others put labels on. We look at him and we see our youth, our next generation being taken from us senselessly. Trayvon Martin has become the new face for the Black community's fight for justice and for our want to end racism/profiling.
So I'm sure many of you are like me engrossed in this trial. Watching and waiting on the edge of our seats for the verdict. This verdict will say a lot about our country and the direction we're headed in. For the first time since the Rodney King beating/police acquittal we witnessed blacks uniting. We saw everyone (young, old, rich, poor) take a stand and demand Action. We were on one accord. We felt Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin's pain and we stood as a united force. No acts of violence, no disrespectful speeches but a call to law officials to do what was right.
Arrest and Bring this man to trial! And we showed up in big numbers. We signed petitions, sported our hoodies in Trayvon's honor, took to social media and forced the mainstream media to share this story. 44 days after Trayvon Martin was gunned down for being a Black teen wearing a hoodie, an arrest was made.
I bet Martin Luther King Jr. smiled in that moment. Watching as we all came together seeking a common goal. It was a moment we all should be proud of.
Now it's time to do it again. As we send up prayers for this family as they endure this trial. Watching as their child's death is played out. Sometimes I felt the defense made his life seem irrelevant. Particularly when that knock-knock joke was told (in opening statements).
Imagine (as I'm sure most of us have) that this was our son. Still a kid, still a teen, still in high school, not perfect but yet still finding his way in life. Dealing with the pressures of life for a young black male. Having his dad in his life but not in the home, a sad reality for too many of our young black males these days. Yet doing what most teen males do. Talking to girls, playing video games, making choices that perhaps they shouldn't and seemingly living carefree.
Then to be stalked and followed by someone driving around profiling you. You becoming a suspicious person because your skin is dark, hoodie up and hands in your pocket. Being viewed as a threat and doing something wrong because that's what boys who look like you are assumed to do. Being guilty of nothing more than being young and black.
As this man keeps following you, you become alert and on edge because you do not know his motive. Next thing you know he is now out of his vehicle and approaching you. You are near home...do you keep running or try to lose the guy first...I mean what are his intentions as you're walking alone and vulnerable in the rain.
Sounds like the start of a drama movie huh? Yet this happened in real life. A fight breaks out with the young, teen black boy at a disadvantage because the other guy came with a loaded gun. Ultimately shooting and killing young Trayvon Martin.
Now this man is on trial for murder which he likes to call self defense. How could this be when you went looking for trouble? You could've drove away or watched from your vehicle until an officer of the law arrived or identified yourself or simply left the boy alone. After all he was only walking home in the rain.
Today he's gone. HIS (Trayvon Martin's) story will never be told.
So let's stay tuned to this story and remember his parents who have to endure this pain and mockery day to day.
Let's stand together again and declare we will NOT, we CANNOT watch another one of our children lose their life to this foolishness called racial profiling yet labeled as self defense.
Trayvon, Sybrina and Tracy we stand behind you and support you!
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