BY STUDENT
For this deeper examination of core topics I chose to investigate the criminalization of the black community, particularly that of teenaged males in suburb and urban communities in 21st century America. One recent case that I find captivating is that of Trayvon Martin. A New York Times article discussing the President's opinion of the case verdict, a video of Barack Obama’s statement, and portions of The Condemnation of Blackness by Muhammad Khalil, which all contribute to my understanding of this case. To what extent does the non- guilty verdict of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case warrant angst and serve as further evidence of racial criminalization in the U.S. federal judicial system? In this post I argue that the community is warranted to be infuriated by the verdict and further, that action must be take to prevent this vicious cycle of unjustified racism in the everyday African American male teenagers’ life from occurring.
The shooting of Trayvon Martin was in the winter of 2012 in the multi-ethnic gated community of Sanford, Florida in which he lived. He was shot on account of suspicion and self- defense by George Zimmerman, a hispanic man (Week Staff 2012). The violent interaction in result of a presumed misunderstanding was fatal. Zimmerman was released from custody on the account of his claim to self defense. News of this occurrence spread like wild fire and eventually Zimmerman was charged with man slaughter. In the summer of 2013 his case was held and Zimmerman was declared not guilty for the death of Trayvon Martin. This again caused an uproar amongst the American community on both sides of the case, those who believed Zimmerman was guilty and those who believed he acted unjustly upon a racial profile. However when one member of the entire community spoke on the case, people really listened. That community member was President Barack Obama. After the verdict, Obama was impassioned and felt compelled to give his response. He spoke of the culture that the US has created in reference to young black men and in constant suspicion of these young men. He says the average black male has walked down the street and has heard the clicks of car doors locking, and on the premise of suspicion the average black male has been followed while shopping in a department store, or stopped and interrogated by a police officer (Landler and Shear 2013). There is clearly something wrong with this. Our non- black community still lives in fear of the “other” man. There is no reason for it. President Obama urges “Americans to be honest with themselves about how far this country has come in confronting its own racial history” (Landler and Shear 2013). There is something deeply troubling when the leader of this nation is in disgust with the jurisdiction of its law. The President, along with many other esteemed individuals believe that Martin was a victim in this event. They believe the culprit was racism.
Muhammad Khalil, a scholar and writer of race and crime writes that “black juvenile delinquency became one of the most effective demonstrations that structural inequality was the primary cause of crime among blacks” (Muhammad 2007, 231). In reference to the work of scholars in the early 19th century, Muhammad argues that this logic is still applicable today. The profiling of black teens is disastrous to the communities in which they come from and contributes to the voltage at which the cycle of racism spins. As for the case of Trayvon Martin’s death, there is an echo of this criminalization of the black community. Whether or not Zimmerman was acting out of self- defense or rage against a race, there will be correlations made by the community about the racial parallel. There have been too many instances in which events unfold for the worst for the black community and these often produce the ignorance of the American understanding of urban communities and what defines a criminal.
For this deeper examination of core topics I chose to investigate the criminalization of the black community, particularly that of teenaged males in suburb and urban communities in 21st century America. One recent case that I find captivating is that of Trayvon Martin. A New York Times article discussing the President's opinion of the case verdict, a video of Barack Obama’s statement, and portions of The Condemnation of Blackness by Muhammad Khalil, which all contribute to my understanding of this case. To what extent does the non- guilty verdict of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case warrant angst and serve as further evidence of racial criminalization in the U.S. federal judicial system? In this post I argue that the community is warranted to be infuriated by the verdict and further, that action must be take to prevent this vicious cycle of unjustified racism in the everyday African American male teenagers’ life from occurring.
The shooting of Trayvon Martin was in the winter of 2012 in the multi-ethnic gated community of Sanford, Florida in which he lived. He was shot on account of suspicion and self- defense by George Zimmerman, a hispanic man (Week Staff 2012). The violent interaction in result of a presumed misunderstanding was fatal. Zimmerman was released from custody on the account of his claim to self defense. News of this occurrence spread like wild fire and eventually Zimmerman was charged with man slaughter. In the summer of 2013 his case was held and Zimmerman was declared not guilty for the death of Trayvon Martin. This again caused an uproar amongst the American community on both sides of the case, those who believed Zimmerman was guilty and those who believed he acted unjustly upon a racial profile. However when one member of the entire community spoke on the case, people really listened. That community member was President Barack Obama. After the verdict, Obama was impassioned and felt compelled to give his response. He spoke of the culture that the US has created in reference to young black men and in constant suspicion of these young men. He says the average black male has walked down the street and has heard the clicks of car doors locking, and on the premise of suspicion the average black male has been followed while shopping in a department store, or stopped and interrogated by a police officer (Landler and Shear 2013). There is clearly something wrong with this. Our non- black community still lives in fear of the “other” man. There is no reason for it. President Obama urges “Americans to be honest with themselves about how far this country has come in confronting its own racial history” (Landler and Shear 2013). There is something deeply troubling when the leader of this nation is in disgust with the jurisdiction of its law. The President, along with many other esteemed individuals believe that Martin was a victim in this event. They believe the culprit was racism.
Muhammad Khalil, a scholar and writer of race and crime writes that “black juvenile delinquency became one of the most effective demonstrations that structural inequality was the primary cause of crime among blacks” (Muhammad 2007, 231). In reference to the work of scholars in the early 19th century, Muhammad argues that this logic is still applicable today. The profiling of black teens is disastrous to the communities in which they come from and contributes to the voltage at which the cycle of racism spins. As for the case of Trayvon Martin’s death, there is an echo of this criminalization of the black community. Whether or not Zimmerman was acting out of self- defense or rage against a race, there will be correlations made by the community about the racial parallel. There have been too many instances in which events unfold for the worst for the black community and these often produce the ignorance of the American understanding of urban communities and what defines a criminal.
Something must be done to alter this mind set of suspicion and fear. As W.E.B. Du
Bois, an activist for African American rights and advancement, asked, “How long can a
city teach its black children that the road to success is to have a white face?” (As quoted by
Muhammad 2007, 272). That question resonates with the case of young black men meeting
America’s troubled perception of a criminal. It can be said that black males are coined
criminals upon gestation. That is troubling. That is wrong. Something must be done to alter
the mindset of the United States in reference to ethnic knowledge. As for the response after
the non- guilty verdict of George Zimmerman, those who believe the case’s jurisdiction
was wrong, were rightly justified in their response of angst and frustration.
Sources:
Landler, Michael and Michael D. Shear. “ President Offers a Personal Take on Race in the U.S.” The
New York Times, July 19 2013. Accessed on September 20 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/
2013/07/20/us/in-wake-of-zimmerman-verdict-obama-makes- extensive-statement-on-race-in-
america.html?_r=0
Khalil, Muhammad. The Condemnation of Blackness. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University
Press, 2010.
Week Staff. “The Trayvon Martin Case: A Timeline.” The Week, July 17, 2012. Accessed on
September 23 2013. http://theweek.com/article/index/226211/the-trayvon-martin-case-a- timeline
Sources:
Landler, Michael and Michael D. Shear. “ President Offers a Personal Take on Race in the U.S.” The
New York Times, July 19 2013. Accessed on September 20 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/
2013/07/20/us/in-wake-of-zimmerman-verdict-obama-makes- extensive-statement-on-race-in-
america.html?_r=0
Khalil, Muhammad. The Condemnation of Blackness. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University
Press, 2010.
Week Staff. “The Trayvon Martin Case: A Timeline.” The Week, July 17, 2012. Accessed on
September 23 2013. http://theweek.com/article/index/226211/the-trayvon-martin-case-a- timeline
I was shocked when I first heard the news of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. As the details surrounding the shooting began to circulate, I immediately viewed Trayvon as an innocent teen who became a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Reports in the media depicted George Zimmerman as a racist individual who racially profiled Trayvon as a criminal because of the color of his skin and the clothing he was wearing. However, as the case neared trial, facts began to emerge to bolster Zimmerman’s self-defense claim. Ultimately, these facts shifted my empathy away from Trayvon and towards Zimmerman’s case. In my opinion, I do not believe this was a case of racial profiling. Zimmerman was solely doing his job as the designated neighborhood watchman and would have taken the same action no matter the race of the individual. However, Zimmerman did act irresponsibly when he decided to follow Trayvon, despite the 911 operator’s order to remain stationary and wait for police to arrive. Although I believe Zimmerman in a sense instigated the events that would later unfold, he was deemed not guilty under the law. In the United States’ criminal justice system, the prosecution has the burden of proof and must prove the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the prosecution exercised poor judgment when selecting witnesses because some of them actually supported the defense’s case. As a result, the defense was able to “poke holes” in the prosecution’s case, ultimately leading to Zimmerman’s acquittal. The fact that the prosecution did not win does not give the black community the right to believe that justice was not served. The United States has one of the fairest criminal justice systems in the world, and it is important that we respect all verdicts, even though we may not agree. Despite what many believe, not guilty does not signify innocence in our criminal justice system. For this reason, I believe that Zimmerman is partially responsible for the death of Martin because of his decision to follow Martin. But, it was Martin’s aggressive nature that ultimately led to his death. In a trial, it is important for one’s emotions to not get in the way of the facts. For this reason, jury selection is the most important part of a fair trial. The media made this shooting into a case of racial profiling when in fact, it truly wasn’t. A great example of this is when NBC furtively edited the 911 call to read “this guy looks like he’s up to no good…he looks black” when in reality it read something much different. I am a firm believer that the world would have never heard about this case if it involved two individuals of the same race. But, when individuals of different races are involved, most notably blacks and whites, many jump to conclusions before hearing the facts in a court of law. In an era when we rely heavily on the media, the media has a responsibility to report objectively, especially when covering a high profile case. Unfortunately, the media will never be rid of all bias, and as a result, it is important that all individuals learn to assess the objectivity of a report before drawing conclusions.
ReplyDeleteI strongly suggest that you read more about NBC’s unethical choice to depict Zimmerman as a racist individual and how this choice impacted individuals’ perceptions’ of Zimmerman. It will be interesting to follow the ensuing defamation suit filed against NBC in the coming months.
I think that most people, myself included, draw most conclusions from an event based on its portrayal in the media. Rather than watching the trial, my only experiences with this case were the original story of Zimmerman's charges, including photos of Zimmerman and Martin and a small clip from the 911 call (the part where the operator instructed him not to follow), and the after trial story that depicted widespread outrage over the "not guilty" verdict. Because, like many others, these two stories were my main exposure to the case, I feel unqualified to determine whether the correct verdict was chosen. However, knowing that Zimmerman willfully disobeyed the operator by approaching Martin places him at a certain degree of fault. Yet did he approach him with the intent of harm or did he intervene out of duty to his position? Did he know before acting that he was to place himself in a position requiring the use of force? These are questions that I did not see addressed in the media. That being said, I can take away two lessons from this experience: (1) that we must rely on evidence rather than biased depictions, and (2) that we must have a good reason for placing ourselves in a dangerous confrontational position- a reason not simply built on the assumption of black criminality.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely unfortunate that racism still exists in today's world. I do not think Zimmerman was completely innocent. This was a case fueled by race and Zimmerman never should have followed Martin. I do agree that this case would have never been heard about if it regarded two members of the same race. I thought it was very interesting to includes President Barrack Obama's thoughts regarding the matter. I do feel that if the president of our country has a problem with the way our courts handled something, then perhaps it should be questioned. However, if there truly was not enough proof to charge Zimmerman with murder or manslaughter, then he would have had to be found not guilty. After all this time, I still am not entirely sure of what happened and if Zimmerman should have be charged guilty or not guilty.
ReplyDeleteThe Trayvon Martin case received a lot of media attention and different news channels seemed to have different facts regarding what happened that night; some facts, which at times, seemed contradictory. I cannot be a judge of whether Zimmerman's verdict was just, but I do believe in the justice of the judicial system and will continue to trust in its verdicts. The case has also brought into light the life of many other Black teenagers. I can't pretend to understand what it must feel like to be walking down a street and hear car doors lock because someone assumes you are going to rob the car or being followed around while shopping by security guards. This kind of discrimination only makes it harder for those who are trying to raise above the stereotype. And the fact that there are teenagers facing this discrimination every day and every night, only shows how much more this country has to progress to be free of discrimination and racial profiling.
ReplyDelete