I have my own opinions about the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, most of which I’m going to keep close to my vest. Let’s just say that I never would have suspected that murder can now be considered justifiable, at least in Floriduh. That said, my concern lies more with the message that finding Zimmerman not guilty sends to one of the most vulnerable segments of our population- young black males.
In America, merely being young, black, and male can be fatal. There’s nothing new about that, of course, but Floriduh’s “Stand Your Ground” law can be taken as confirmation that it’s open season on those incautious enough to be young, black, and male in public. The question, then, is how to survive with what should be considered a potentially fatal condition? Being neither young nor black (I am male, for what that’s worth), I can’t speak to that question with any authority, but Touré can- and does. It’s not often I have a chance to pass along something that may actually save a life or two, but Touré does, with his brilliant and heartbreaking How to Talk to Young Black Boys About Trayvon Martin: Eight talking points about the potentially fatal condition of being black. His advice is brilliant, because it goes directly to the heart of the problem- the racism most of refuse to admit still exists in our hearts. It’s heartbreaking that a family could lose a son because merely for being young, black, male, and in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, what happened in Floriduh is reprehensible, but the other 49 states are hardly immune to the problem.
We live in a place and time when simply being who you are can get you killed. If that doesn’t make you angry, I’d submit that you need to get your humanity checked.
