Take a look at the pictures. Assuming you don't recognize either of these men, if I were to ask you, "which one of these 2 men seems more threatening?", don't lie to me and tell me that you would choose the white guy.
The Muslim man... I don't know he's just some guy I found in a Google search. Maybe he runs a day care, who knows. The white guy... Ted Bundy: one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. You just told me that a random Muslim man is more threatening than a guy who in his time killed upwards of 30 people. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Or should you?
Based solely on appearance, why does an arbitrary Muslim man inspire more fear than a generic white guy? We don't know anything about the Muslim other than he looks like someone who we have been conditioned to be afraid of. He resembles someone who we've seen on the news committing acts of violence, but we know nothing of the man himself. Ted Bundy, on the other hand, looks like Ward Cleaver: All-American white guy with a nice suit and tie, and a big smile on his face. He has the look of a guy who spends his weekends putting a white picket fence around his suburban house - not raping and murdering people.
This grouping of people based on stereotypes is what cost young Trayvon Martin his life. Pretend all you want... racial profiling still exists.
As Americans we pretend we're a progressive nation with regards to tolerance, and we hide behind certain milestones such as Title IX, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when it comes to addressing lingering social poisons. You can't bring up race anymore because people want to know "why you gotta make everything racial". Newsflash uptight white people... most things still are racial, and until you recognize that no matter how many black friends you have you absolutely don't exist in the same world as we do, then it's not even a conversation worth having.
Have we made great strides as a nation? There's absolutely no doubt about that. Just 40 years ago my mere existence was an impossibility because a black woman and a white man would never have married and had children... and I'm incredibly grateful to the brave men and women who have made my life not only comfortable, but possible. But to think that the fact that we have come a long way means that there's nowhere left to go is both misguided and irresponsible.
Half a century ago racial hatred was tangible, undeniable. Though not easy to execute, it was plain the see the steps that could, should, and eventually would be taken in order to catalyze inspiring, albeit necessary, social change.
It's different nowadays. Sure minorities and white people can use the same water fountains, and sit wherever they want on the bus, and shit in the same toilets... all discernible and objective traits of an integrated society. Unfortunately these distract from the passive racial judgements that are made every day, and because these are so hard to substantiate and in many cases subconscious, they prove nearly impossible to remedy.
Why can't a young black kid walk through a gated Florida neighborhood without being labeled suspicious? What about him was suspicious? The iced tea in his pocket? The skittles? (Though skittle related homicides are on the rise). Or is it the fact that in our current society young black males are portrayed as criminals, and associated with violence and with low income housing? So the only reason this kid could be in this neighborhood is because he is about to heist some shit, and it's rent-a-cop's sole duty to stop him. I'm willing to wager any amount of money if Trayvon was a white kid, so, Travis, he probably gets a wave from Zimmerman and goes on his merry way.
Now Zimmerman is pursuing Martin even when the police explicitly told him not to. Why? Why did he feel the need to bring a gun with him? Because everyone young black male is carrying all the time... obviously. Fair assessment. So once he runs down this kid, carrying skittles and tea, he feels that it's his right to question him? Let's get something straight. Thanks to the 5th Amendment you don't have to answer questions from a police officer, an ordained executor of the law, let alone George fucking Zimmerman. Furthermore let's assume that an officer determines that you're being ornery by pleading the 5th, the punishment for your insubordination isn't getting shot in the chest.
As a young black male this poses a huge problem, and it all starts with the initial racial profile. This is saying to me is that I should be careful when walking through the suburbs because I'll inevitably be deemed suspicious, (because a neighborhood of $400,000 houses is absolutely not where I belong), chased down, interrogated by some ass clown with zero authority, and when I stand my ground it's cool if he kills me because let's be honest, he probably just foiled a robbery. Bravo.
This paragraph is very important... for all of you reading this and getting increasingly hotheaded because I'm on my soapbox. Just because you're a minority doesn't mean you are exempt from profiling others. Moreover passively profiling people absolutely does not make you a racist. There is a very fine line between being racist and racially profiling, and until we are able to understand and embrace that discrepancy it's impossible to have logical discourse on the subject. Reread that. Take a deep breath. Repeat.
Subtleties matter. Even in my own life, as a young black male in 2012, when you really think about how you're treated, certain things stick out that you can't help but marvel at.
Recently I was at a banquet with some wealthy white people, a favorite past time of mine. I introduced myself as I was taught as a child: firm handshake, eye contact, "Price Thomas pleasure to meet you". After speaking with them for a while about my Alma Mater and various other topics, one of the women turns to me with a smile, "you're so well spoken".
Hmmmm...
At face value that seems like a nice compliment. But the more I thought about it I couldn't shake the question of why she would be surprised that I was well spoken? How the fuck am I supposed to speak? Is there a certain way I should talk because of how I look? I, as I am sure is the case with many young, well-educated black men, get a lot of "oh wows" when the answer to "where did you go to school" is William & Mary, or Virginia, or Cornell, etc. Why? Because someone who looks like me, with tattoos and earrings, doesn't fit the profile of a graduate of a prestigious university. It's not personal, and it's not worthwhile for me to take it as an attack on my character... but that doesn't mean it's not a problem.
Although profiling is a huge problem brought to light by the death of Trayvon Martin, it would be careless of me to overlook the fact that we as minorities aren't doing anything to change the way we are viewed by society. My argument isn't that we as minorities are victimized by a cruel and judgmental social structure, because let's face it, we aren't doing ourselves any favors. As long as the majority of terrorist acts against the US are committed by Muslims, and the majority of violent crimes portrayed in the news are committed by black males, the rest of us will continue to bear the stigma for those in our respective ethnic groups who continue to perpetuate the negative stereotypes.
C'mon minorities. Lift each other up. So what we get "randomly" searched every time we fly? So what women clutch their purses when we walk past wearing hoodies and sweatpants? It's time to change the way we're perceived. Think about your actions and whether you want to be a part of the continuing problem or begin to be part of the solution. Think about that young Florida boy who's now 6 feet under because of the way an unenlightened asshole THOUGHT he should act.
Congressman Bobby Rush... much respect.
R.I.P Trayvon Martin.
