Six female jurors in Sanford, Fla., believed that it was OK for a white man to follow, approach and kill an unarmed black teen. George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin. Beyond the verdict, the more disturbing message is that a black person’s life is still worthless in this nation.
From slavery to Jim Crow laws, to today’s high incarceration rates and prevalence of black on black crime, there has always been an issue with existing and surviving as a black male in America.
In their closing arguments, Zimmerman’s defense displayed pictures of Trayvon Martin looking menacing on images posted on Twitter and Facebook. They also called a white woman who lived in Martin’s father’s neighborhood, to testify that black males broke into her home. The woman’s testimony had nothing to do with the death of Martin or his character. But the testimony painted a negative picture of black males.
So instead of viewing Zimmerman as the aggressor, the jurors saw Martin as the “black monster” who is scary and prone to violence. Although there was no real evidence of Martin having a criminal past. That’s the view many Americans have of black males.
As a result, black men are victims of racial profiling by police; are criminalized for a style of dress such as wearing baggy pants; and are often handed longer prison sentences when compared to other races that commit similar crimes.
In turn, black males must almost emasculate themselves in order to be accepted by the larger society. Those who seek to advance in a majority white workplace or social environment, must be accommodating, placid and agreeable in order to not be treated as the “black monster.” Blacks who have worked hard to change their financial status and move to gated communities often face the same disposition.
In Martin’s case, his father lived in a mixed race community, but he was murdered for being guilty of walking home while black.
In our own communities, black males are often targeted by other black males who maintain the “crabs-in-a-barrel” mentality. Black-on-black crime continues to plague major cities in America. So young black males must live in their own neighborhoods in fear.
It’s a harsh reality to wake up in a nation that views you as a threat on one end of the spectrum, and as a target on the other end. Sadly, we have been reminded that America is no country for black men.
