By Mansfield Frazier
The killing of Trayvon Martin (essentially for the “crime” of Walking While Black) and its aftermath provides one of those riveting moments in American history when the curtain that our still all-too-rampant racism normally hides behind is pulled back… exposing the ugly underbelly of prejudice and hatred that still exists in too many corners of our society. Through decade after decade of scurrilous application of Jim Crow laws — combined with other forms of racially motivated biases that keep minorities marginalized — our country has created the near-perfect target for the majority culture’s collective hatred, fear and opprobrium: The Young Black Male. Hoodie optional.
And, thanks to new laws on the books in various parts of the country, the demographic many seemingly love to loathe and despise now have legalized targets pinned on their backs; the Young Black Male is now officially considered fair game in some parts of America. Game on — lock and load.
Under the “Stand Your Ground” laws that have been enacted in many states anyone can do what George Zimmerman did in Sanford, Florida: Shoot someone (preferably a Young Black Male) to death and then claim self-defense. Of course it won’t work too well if the shooter is black and the victim is white. Oh, and after the “kill,” the shooter should bop him or herself upside the head with their trusty Glock… just hard enough to raise the self-defense knot right above the left eye.
In spite of the fact the shooter in this case will, in all likelihood, stand trial on state or federal charges, southern “justice” being what it historically has been… there’s no assurances of a fair and unbiased jury being selected — or of a conviction… even if the evidence is overwhelming. This is why so many Blacks were lynched in America a century ago: Whites knew they could carry out their murderous acts with impunity. And, to quote an NAACP slogan: In America, “much has changed, much has not.”
The emerging facts surrounding Trayvon’s death are so glaring as to be mind boggling. Most importantly among them was the fact that when Zimmerman told a police dispatcher that he was following a Young Black Male (who, according to Zimmerman, “appeared to be on drugs”), the dispatcher responded, “We don’t need for you to do that.” At that point Zimmerman should have gotten back into his vehicle and simply followed Trayvon until police arrived, but he continued his pursuit; a deranged white man on the hunt of the elusive Young Black Male. Zimmerman even said, “These fuckers always get away.” But not this time.
Supposedly a number of break-ins had occurred in the gated community that served as Zimmerman’s hunting and killing grounds, and while no suspects had been arrested or even spotted… it was assumed by him and others the dreaded “Young Black Male” — the fall guy for all our nation’s collective neighborhood fears — was responsible for them.
It’s abundantly clear by a preponderance of (albeit) circumstantial evidence Zimmerman wasn’t simply “standing his ground”… he actually was out looking for what he considered “fair game” (read: The Young Black Male) and clearly was the aggressor in the confrontation with Trayvon; whom he ran to ground and slaughtered.
And if Zimmerman is not prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, expect other killings to occur in states with similar laws, and even some where laws are not so unambiguous. There are an untold number of other Zimmermans out there, waiting to protect the white race by offing a Young Black Male.
The “investigation” (if you can call it that) carried out by the Sanford Police Department was so slipshod one has to wonder what relationship — if any — Zimmerman had with local police prior to the killing. Since Travyon’s body was tested for drugs and Zimmerman was not (all police officers involved in a shooting, deadly or not, are routinely tested), does this suggest a special relationship between the shooter and the police? Was Zimmerman on their payroll? Was he a cop wannabe they tolerated? Why did police never investigate someone who had called them dozens of times (always with unfounded, wacky suspicions about Young Black Males) just to see if he had a screw loose? The questions just keep coming and coming.
The silver lining of this darkest of clouds is that while the majority of protestors at the rallies protesting Travyon’s killing are people of color, there have been enough whites also in attendance to prove all people of good will find this killing abominable and not to be tolerated. Travyon’s death could bring about a new era of multiracial civil rights activism in America.
Now, if we can just convert some of the extant outrage over the killing of a Young Black Male by a white vigilante… to similar outrage when Young Black Males senselessly kill each other, we would be paying fitting tribute to the life — and tragic death — of Trayvon Martin.
From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.neighborhoodsolutionsinc.com.
8 Responses to “MANSFIELD: Walking While Black”
Cindy Meyers
While I won’t be surprised if you are right Mr. Frazier, yesterday a report came out that Martin actually attacked Zimmerman. Also Zimmermans lawyer ran away from a interview with Lawrence O’Donnell which seems odd. I have to say I will wait until all information is in. It seems the fairest apporach.
Wayne Kuznar
Cindy, I would hardly call a male who is being followed as the attacker. It looks to me that it was Trayvon Martin who was defending himself and stood his ground after being unable to lose his pursuer, while the cowardly Zimmerman fired his weapon. Mansfield is correct in that Zimmerman made an assumption based solely on Trayvon’s race that he was “up to no good,” and that the rash of break-ins in the neighborhood were carried out by blacks, despite no evidence to confirm it. As long as police forces and prosecutors are corrupt, and gun laws are lax, this type of killing without a competent investigation can happen anywhere; in fact, they already have. Anybody who doubts that needs to look no further than the criminal Tim McGinty, who likely will be the next prosecutor of Cuyahoga County.
Dick Peery
The Trayvon Martin killing again exposes a basic fault line in American culture. Not the situational barrier between black and white, but the recurring rupture that separates those who are consistently outraged by injustice and those who will grasp any fantasy to keep from seeing ugly truths about the society that gives them comfort. Fact: armed vigilante Zimmerman expressed contempt for Trayvon as he stalked and confronted the youth who was simply walking in the neighborhood where he was staying. The upholders of hate do not need intellectual inventions to justify the resulting death, but they will provide any number of red herrings to help conscience laden liberals to avoid the pain of America’s historical reality. We will hear unending tales of Trayvon’s imagined delinquencies and of Zimmerman’s love for black people, as if those were the relevant issues. It is hard for so many to accept that a young black person has been killed and the state allowed the killer to walk away with his gun. Yet, this is the recurring record of the American experience that has always been ignored or rationalized by good people throughout slavery, Jim Crow and contemporary brutality.
Anastasia p
Cindy, the so-called “reports” that Martin “attacked” Zimmerman are not “reports,” but gossip being leaked by his supporters. First of all, it may be impossible, as Mansfield indicated, to fully ascertain how Zimmerman got his injuries — IF it is documented that he had injuries. So far, we’ve heard about them but not seen photos or a hospital report. We don’t even know if he was treated for injuries. Second, if indeed Martin pushed or punched a guy over 100 pounds bigger than he was, a guy who was following him and asking intrusive questions, well, that’s a natural reaction. Wouldn’t you do that if accosted by a belligerent guy much bigger than yourself? Nothing about Zimmerman’s alleged injuries indicates a reason for killing Martin. Ramping up the flogging of them in the media as I’ve seen in the past few days suggests an attempt to “exonerate” him in the court of public opinion.
Richard
Right now, both stories stink. The local police and Officials seemed to have mismanaged the investigation from the start. This thing should have been booted upstairs immediately. After a month you would think, someone should know something factual. Let’s see what the Justice Dept. has to say after their investigation.
Side note: It is a much younger photograph of Martin that is being pushed by media & family.
Wayne Kuznar
As I suspected, police misconduct is occurring in this case. New video shows no bruises and no blood on Zimmerman, casting EXTREME doubt on his story that he was attacked. This was not mismanagement by the police, it’s a cover-up by a racist department, pure and simple.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/28/breaking-news-surveillance-video-reveals-no-bruises-or-blood-on-george-zimmerman-on-night-of-shooting-video/
John Ettorre
Let the facts–all the facts–come out and the justice system take its course, people. Much of what I’ve read here is no better than the endless speculation of talking heads on cable TV. The well-reported, fact-filled front page story in this week’s NYT suggests that a rush to judgment in either direction is a bad idea. But we should have already known that anyway.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-prompts-a-review-of-ideals.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
Cindy Meyers
I’m simply saying as John did, lets wait to see all the facts. How is that a bad thing. We don’t gain anything by jumping to conclusions and we are not going to be making any decisions. Like I said it is the fairest approach.