Dr. Donald E. Grant Jr. anxiously awaits the verdict in the trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin, knowing that historically, the U.S. criminal justice system has not valued the lives of Black men.
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America sits moments away from a verdict in one of America’s most riveting public trials. We will soon know whether the murder of an unarmed 17 year old boy will be considered a crime punishable by the law. As we await the jury’s decision, I am consistently asking myself: “Is the criminality of murdering Black boys subject to debate in modern day America?”
Even though anti-lynching laws were established in the 1920’s, the deaths of black men and boys to vigilanty justice seekers remain very prevalent. I was a college freshman in 1995 when Antwan Sedgewick, a 20 year old African American man was found hanged from the monkey bars at a Virginia playground not far from my university. I was a senior in 1999 when Amadou Dialo, a 23 year old Black man was murdered when 41 police bullets rained over his unarmed body. I was the dad of 2 year old black boy in 2012 when Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old unarmed Black boy was cut down alone one rainy night in Florida. 3,347 lynchings of blacks were documented between 1882 and 1968, we can only guess how many more went “unreported”. Like most of the documented lynchings, many of these new millennium lynchings have gone unpunished, sending invariably strong messages to black boys that their lives are dispensable and their value is nil.
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As I watched the closing arguments of the Trayvon Martin case, the prosecution’s ineloquent but substantive closing arguments were well bolstered by their charismatic heartfelt rebuttal that followed the defense. Although the defense paraded a host of bells and whistles, his horse and pony show couldn’t hide the fact that a child was dead. Unapologetically weaved throughout each soliloquy were attempts to convince rational human beings that this murder rises to the level of a punishable crime.
What happens when I choose Nike over Ferregamo or Stussy over Theory? Does that render the criminality of someone taking my life subjective?
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Since when is it not criminal to kill a non-threatening unarmed child near his home? As I listened I thought how different the course of this case would be if Zimmerman was a 28 year old black man and Martin was 17 year old white kid. Would we dare question the criminality of the gun slinging black man when a white child is the victim? Not at all, we often just try and figure out which charge is most fitting. This appears to evidence a place in our world where it is socially and legally sanctioned to approach, accost and murder black boy at your whim.
Jim Crow laws institutionalized the rules created by the vigilanty form of ‘justice’ known as lynching back in the mid 1870’s. The value of a black man’s life on this soil has long been tangibly defined. In 1860, young male slaves in good health could be purchased on average for about $1,300 each (about $20K by today’s standards). Male slaves garnered the highest costs when they were artisans like blacksmiths or carpenters. Ones cost was discounted if he had a physical handicap or a vice like alcohol. It appears that today a similar bounty remains, but remixed. Both slavery and Jim Crow have ended (not so long ago), so what now dictates the value of a black man’s life and which of us are most dispensable?
Black men of all spheres are subject to profiling and it’s potentially deadly consequences. It does however appear that if I dress a certain wage and speak with several graduate degrees, I artificially inflate my own value. What happens though when I decide to morph into another authentic presentation of self? What happens when I choose Nike over Ferregamo or Stussy over Theory? Does that render the criminality of someone taking my life subjective? Do these new millennium lynchings create a pricelist that decriminalizes the murders of black men who appear to be of less value to society? If Trayvon Martin was in a Burberry raincoat would he be alive today?
My great grand-father who lived until I was 21 years old would be appalled to know that I, along with other fathers of black boys today, are forced to lament daily on the bounties over the heads of our sons. Teaching my son to “mask manage” in each setting promotes the stereotype of the monolithic “good black man” while disunifying black men and empowering racism. However, denying him the ability to shift into inauthentic roles places him at an extreme disadvantage as institutionalized racism rages with consequences on a continuum ranging from psychic trauma to death and dismemberment.
The outcome of this case is not simply about a verdict, it presents an existential precedent of political violence that outweighs any conceivable legal precedent. Consistent experiences with unresolved political violence burdens future generations with psychological wounds. The verdict in this case has the capacity to further ingratiate into the fabric of America the lack of value assigned to the lives of some American citizens, black boys in particular.
As a result, black fathers like me have to look the eyes of their innocent sons and strategize. When, how and where we will remove their cloak of invisibility… or will it be callously ripped off at the discretion of another? Will he come home with a story of how a teacher minimized his intellect or how the check out lady at Neiman’s refused to assist him? Or will my anxiety drive me to reveal to him the ills of the world while he sits safely in the confines of my heart? Either way, I feel inadequately prepared to arm my young black son with a spirit of fortitude that can manage the wounds associated with our “post racial society”. As a wounded soldier, I have yet to master the technique myself.
UPDATE:
The confirmation of fears is a tough pill to swallow. The verdict “Not Guilty”…the message, a precedent illustrating the collective devaluation of the lives of black boys. Langston Hughes summed it up best when he asked “What happens to a dream deferred?” He posited several answers, one of which was: “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it fester like a sore and then run?” I am sad for my son and all the young black boys in America who will continue to be viewed as less than smart and more than dangerous, less than loving and more than aggressive…this deferred dream sags like a heavy load as the years of status quo existentialism plows the land of our souls, draining all of its resources. Before the verdict, Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s daughter tweeted “Today is a defining moment for the status of my father’s dream”, yes Dr. Bernice King it was and we now see where we stand. It is evidenced by the cavalier explanations of the defense following the verdict and the dismissive nature of Robert Zimmerman’s (Georges brother) post verdict interview. The ease with which they blame this child for his own death is nauseating. Robert was asked if Trayvon had the right to defend himself against an adult with a gun…his response “Trayvon had the right to go home”.
Clouds of sadness mount as I note that black boys across America are not able to go to the store and expect to return home alive. In spite of the letter of the law, this boy was followed because he was black and subsequently murdered as a result of all the stereotypes that come along with being that. Any other explanation is a feeble attempt at denial. The contemporary messages to the world on who black men are and what they do puts a paralysis on change. We must not confuse a black POTUS for an eradication of racism. A great step does not an actualization make. I hope to participate in the movement as we restructure the ways in which black boys are viewed, as my black son is worthy of every opportunity that your son is…even if it is as simple as a store run. #Shakingmyheadandhuggingmyson
Photo of George Zimmerman: AP
…which is precisely why I advocate that young men of color protect themselves at all cost.It is THEIR right to do so.Trust me,there is more than one George Zimmerman out there.
Leia I must say,considering that you have a son of color and he has male friends of color,your lack of knowledge about the experiences of males of color is striking and evident in many of your past responses on any number of issues.As such, many of those responses lack the wisdom inclusivity and the gravitos of credibility. I don’t get it.I keep hearing how feminists and their supporters are leaders in inclusivity-you know-intersectionality and all.If your opinions are so myopic and unrealized,how much truth can they hold? Finding ansmers to the questions you end your posts with have shaped my… Read more »
“Since when is it not criminal to kill a non-threatening unarmed child near his home?” I think this is the salient question that demands an answer. Because, as Dr. Grant rightly pointed out, lynching was outlawed in 1920. This doesn’t mean it didn’t happen after, but you had to were a pillow case over your head to get away with it. There is no doubt that horrendous violence has been directed towards People of Colour in the US since that time, BUT IT WAS NOT LEGAL TO DO SO. The Zimmerman verdict is does something chilling, legally. It validates projected… Read more »
Tom Hey bro! you’d better keep the ole lady haapy man.Get at me later.Peace bro,Angel
OGwriter, I hate when you do this. Not enough time to respond to your as usual great response. Ill respond in more detail later. The old lady needs a new pair of shoes, so I’ll be out the rest of the after noon. But I wanted to say that I didn’t want it to appear that profiling a hippie is the same as racial profiling. Profiling none the less is profiling. The motivation behind the profiling makes all the difference in the world though …. Be back at ya later.
Tom: Hey man.I get that you think this issue, as compared to youngmen killing each other,has recieved far too much pub.Perhaps your right. However,just because your son didn’t feel like being profiled was a big deal doesn’t mean that it isn’t for others.And there are very real consequences.I DO know when I’m being profiled and efforts to invalidate that experience in deference to some larger issue isn’t prudent nor wise. I also know when I’m not being profiled.Balancing on the edge of that blade is simply a skill one must learn in order to-quite literally- keep one’s sanity and anger… Read more »
Reading all these news items and comments makes me so worried for my son and his friends…if he is just hanging out with a bunch of his middle school friends at the local schoolyard, how will strangers and the police judge him? One of his closest friends (all the way from kindergarten) is half Caucasian/half Afro-American, and he is the sweetest kid I know next to my son….but I am afraid for him as he gets older and taller….how will people look at him? Will people assume the worst just because of his skin color? Will they judge my son… Read more »
Dr Grant- my heart bleeds for you, as the father of 2 Euro-American teens I worry each and every day, as a friend, in one case, and acquaintance, in the other, of 2 fathers who have lost sons the past 2 Junes to young male stupidity I cringe when the boys leave the house.., I only had to spend a year worrying about my eldest being shot and it was enough…
I have two friends who were shot (both survived). Don’t know if I still have the scar on my back from being a little slow on a knife. It ended up being a deep scratch that drew blood in spots. Add in the other stupid stuff like car surfing, sparring on a friends roof, etc., I still somehow managed to survive into my 40a. I understand what your saying though. My brother is 49 has a black belt in taekwondo and knows multiple martial arts, he recently took his kids to a health club and they were all surprised when… Read more »
Tom You are right.I think the problem is the labels,blacks,whites,feminists,democrats,republicans etc..
Dr.Grant Simply put,if someone punches me in the face they will get punched back. Secondarily,we know that blackmen and boy’s face these pressures yet,we with all of the experts at our disposal we provide them with little relief from these tremendous psychological pressures. Name me one thing,one methodology,that is at my disposal.We talk about PTSD all the damn time, but not where these boy’s are concerned.They are expected to handle having a gun shoved in their faces by those who ARE supposed to protect and serve them and pick themselves and keep on pushing like nothing happened. Do you realize… Read more »
iLogos Although,your view has been well regarded in the past,it is not true in the least.1)The genocide you speak of IS happening right now.2)Nonviolence by itself didn’t win CR for black people.That’s a myth.The fear of blacks rioting,of which there were hundreds during the 60’s, had as much to do with blacks getting CR as the so-called nonviolence movement did.No one would blame a woman for protecting herself from an abusive man.Why do you accept so easily the double standard?The Black Panthers AND Malcolm X proved that if you stand up you will be respected.3)I am not talking about war.I… Read more »
Dr. Grant, Thank you for your very well-written article. While I agree that the system has failed african americans more than it ever should have in the past, with the current state of the media and social media, the wrongs of the past aren’t going to be able to slip by any more. There is hope. But when you get back to this case, trials aren’t based on public opinion, although it’s seemed the prosecution has been trying to win the case there. But that route guarantees a loss in a trial of law. When you rely on emotions, rather… Read more »
Mr.Weeasat: Since when does the law not see color?!You have read the Constitution,right? You do know the history of racist immigration laws don’t you?
Thank you for this article. I am a mother of a 17 year old son and I have to help him navigate through this world.
Dr.Grant Sir,while your academic prowess is self-evident, it means little to folks like post-er JG who most likely views you as a sociopath.It is equally unimportant to the boy’s in the Oakland hood who I have watched be buried.In fact,most of them wouldn’t even understand what you wrote.The ,professionals you educating about the effects of racism don’t give a fuck.If they did,they would have opened a damn book on their own.Steve Locke,in his post,”Why I Don’t Want To Write About Race,speaks on this clearly.The negative consequences of racism have been discussed,preached about,written about,sung about,had a war over, have had symposiums… Read more »
I feel badly for Trayvon Martin but what about these victims??? July 10 – Marlon Young, a 39 year old black male, caused by a gunshot in Auburn Gresham. > Read more about this homicide. July 8 – Ed Cooper, a 15 year old black male, caused by a gunshot in Humboldt Park. > Read more about this homicide. July 8 – Marquise Chandler, a 20 year old black male, caused by a gunshot in West Garfield Park. > Read more about this homicide. July 7 – Ramone Godfrey, a 19 year old black male, caused by a gunshot in… Read more »
What’s up Tom?How’s the family?I think the thread of commonality that links this fabric of violence between the “black on black” homicides and the police inspired homicides of blacks is substantial. Blackmale lives have little value.Furthermore,the internalization of this dynamic and the stressors therein have no logical, acceptable avenue of selfexpression.When you tell someone to pray on it or lets have a meeting,or another symposium where eggheads can fatten their professional resumes sitting around a conference table,in a practical sense,is like telling the boys there is nothing that can be done.For me,my mother telling me and my brother,” to suck… Read more »
OGWriter, I agree. I have spent years working with these youth and their burden. As a middle school science teacher in Baltimore, as a psychologist in LA’s foster care system and as the director of a homeless program. The revolution cannot take place in the board room but I said on an earlier post to someone else that I dont believe that we have an adequate plan or clearly identified goals and we therefore lose ground by dissension. These boys cannot continue to bear this burden…it is unfair (to say the least) and impacts them on levels many will never… Read more »
Dr.Grant I get your implication about dissension,however,I think its misplaced.Apathy is a much bigger problem than dissension.Besides,I’m old and can ill afford the luxury of polite,diplomatic discourse on such serious matters.
Problem as I see it, it’s no longer “bearing a burden” … too much time has passed that these kids see it as a “burden” but more so a way of life that they know nothing else.
One of the things I was always confused on in these anti-gang initiatives was how do you keep kids safe who’ve rejected a gang? The local gang wanted to recruit my community because we had a reputation for fighting. Because I’m half white and look it, they figured I was the easiest to turn. They sent a couple girls to recruit me and when I finally told them no, I was told that one of the boys could always come by with a gun. I asked if it was like the 9mm I had. If a gang threatens to beat… Read more »
I agree. This case brings to light the epidemic we are speaking of and doesnt minimize the value in all the other lives lost. The frequency with which black men and boys die at the hand of another is staggering across all boundaries. My hope is that we need not have this discussion in the future.
It isn’t an either/or.
We can talk about Trayvon Martin’s death and still work toward reducing all ways in which young Black men are being killed.
Hi Joanna, Yes, we could and we do address these issues simultaneously but the “we” who are doing it are not the “we” outside the walls of GMP and similar venues. Zimmerman, front page for a week now, lead story in mainstream media. Zimmerman trial has been hashed and rehashed to nauseam. The decision is in the hands of the jury. I recall last year this was discussed and I distinctly recall displaying a similar list to that which I posted here and I can pretty much tell you, without going back into the archives, the same words were said… Read more »
You’re so right.
I can’t bear the number of youth being killed. It’s devastating. It’s a genocide at this point.
Dr. Grant, you have eloquently expressed the concerns of parents of black boys. One of the things we hear constantly about our oldest son is how well mannered and articulate he is. As if this separates him from other black boys. The truth is that at 15 and 5’10, I’ve started to notice how people react to him. Is he a menace? Does he pose a threat? It makes me think of a quote from Jonathan Lethem: What age is a black boy when he learns he’s scary? Unfortunately, we had to explain to our son at 15, what to… Read more »
Marie I can tell you this.I will be 58 this month and I can remember,as if it happened this morning,when my mother gave me and my brother”the talk”. We lived in “progressive” San Francisco at the time.She imagined the talk would protect us,it didn’t. As i stated before,I lost track of the number of times cops have drawn weapons on me.One night the CHP stopped me and friend.Failing to find drugs on us they said,”If we see you again on OUR highway we will plant drugs on you.” The talk made us self-conscious,angry and insecure.So,when I raised my two boy’s… Read more »
Thanks Marie. It is frightening. I cant remember when i gained awareness, but I also cant remember not knowing. I dont remember a “talk”, just consistent messages weaved throughout my ecology. How your son is perceived definitely sets him apart but as you already stated it creates an artificial and inaccurate hierarchy based on stereotypes. We should be able to dress in a way that expresses our state at that time and not be worried about the privileges we lose if we choose authenticity.
Marie, sometimes we make something out of nothing. Take it as a real compliment that someone recognizes your kids being well mannered and articulate. Parents of all races and background who have kids appreciate that recognition. In reality, society does set the standard. When I was in the corporate world, what I wore was part of what was expected of me. I had a situation where my top rep and I were out on business with the company president. As we were waiting in a waiting room, the president looked down at my reps feet, he was wearing dark argyle… Read more »
Dr.Grant So, all we have is prayer? I suppose then that only good christian blacks deserve to be protected? Really? That all you can offer?Then really,we are on our own to manage the anger,the frustration,the pain,and the cyclical historical manifestation of America’s violence upon our person’s.No wonder there is so much dysfunction among blackmale youth.What good are you “professionals” if this is all you can do?Your titles and words,however,wellintended mean little in real world.if all you can do is placate and mollify the masses.I am sure whites and far too many blacks love to hear you tell these hunted youth… Read more »
I NeVeR said all that we have is prayer. Personally I have worked hard to help young people see their value and understand that racist messages don’t define them. I train other professionals to understand the ills of racism so that they deliver services in a manner congruent with the political violence experienced by Black men and boys. I draw connections between current experiences and intergenerational traumas experienced by blacks across the country. I don’t think I ever said all we can do is pray as there is so much work to be done. the work must be attacked from… Read more »
Sadly you are correct. I often get comments about how well I dress…understand these are nothing like the other comments I get (you speak so well, you are so articulate), I dress well, I tend to dress several degrees more formal than whatever the occasion calls for. People assume it is because I like fashion and care about my appearance, and they are right, but the motivation’s root, is something else entirely. I noticed long ago that if I dressed like my peers, my black friends, I was treated VERY differently than I am when I dressed like my white… Read more »
What a great story. Thanks for sharing. It is unfortunate that we so often “blame the victim”…Rapist blame women for being raped when they dress a certain way and urban males (including Latinos) are often assumed as criminals until proven otherwise or murdered. I hope that one day we can all be taken seriously in spite of how we look, unfortunately until then people of color who dont conform to dominant culture standards will continue to be vilified! We shall see change, just not sure when…
My son, though he’s half Mexican heritage, looks African American in that he’s dark skinned and crazy curly hair (now wears dreads that go down to the middle of his back). We too live in a middle to upper middle class neighborhood as well. At times while in high school, he was approached by area police. It wasn’t until he was an adult and we were talking about various societal issues that he brought this to my attention. I asked him why he never said anything? He said, because it was no big deal. That being said, yeah, people do… Read more »
Maybe it is time for blackmen to throw off of their shoulders the burden of nonviolent confrontation. It,as a means of protection,has failed miserably to stem the tide of violence that has swept over them.Embracing the ethos of nonviolence,they remain burdened and are unable to protect themselves,nor will anyone else lift a finger to protect them and their families in this most fundamental way.The anger and resultant impotence they feel is internalized,erupting in chaotic episodes against each other,or it slowly,methodically, eats them alive like an emotional acid drip. Either way they die a lonely isolated death.While those who never experience… Read more »
That would not end well. There are not enough of us to withstand that sort of plan even for a short period of time. Not to mention it would lose us the moral high ground and with that any sympathy from white Americans, which, as long as we are in the minority, we need to keep the gains we have made. It would be one thing to gather and organize and be ready to respond in cases of *absolute self defense* with violence if it was the only way to protect ourselves and our community, but what you are advocating… Read more »
This is actually pretty important. I’ve supported black rights my entire life, as well as the late Mr. Martin throughout this whole thing. But, if you want to make it an Us vs Them kind of thing, the .357 under the seat of my car will do the talking for me. I really don’t want to make it personal, but the safety of my family comes before your feeling. Please don’t give me a reason to pull the trigger.
Violence worked for us in my little Asian community when I was growing up in a white neighborhood. The key is you can only be violent in self defense. Most of the people in the neighborhood even if they didn’t like us weren’t willing to break the law to kick us out. Needless aggression wouldn’t have served us well. You haven’t been killed and I’m guessing that you haven’t been locked up. When dealing with the police, I look at it (if I was black) as a fight you don’t want to have unless you absolutely have to. You can… Read more »
I do believe that there needs to be a more strategic and intentional strategy but I am not sure that your recommendation will gain the identified results. We also need to more effectively identify the goals of the revolution. Some goals are currently unreasonable in spite of their foundation in the violations of rights for many. I don’t believe that we have identified measurable and attainable goals, then and only then can we have a cohesive plan to gain equality.
Dear Dr. Grant.
Thanks for your eloquent and personal reflections on the value of black men in America. As the wife of a black man, there is an ever-present fear that one day something will happen to my husband. Whether it’s a case of profiling or out-right hostility, I rail against the fact that I unlike many of my neighbors in our upscale neighborhood have to be concerned that my husband’s life may somehow be diminished before he returns safely home to me after a long day at work.
Thanks for speaking the truth and sharing your story.
Thanks for reading and we will continue to pray for our safety as we walk this road together! Please share the article with your friends and family!
George Zimmerman, after encountering the “non-threatening” Trayvon Martin:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/12/george-zimmerman-lawyers-say-bloody-nose-photo-creates-doubt/
I think the real question is whether or not American citizens are still allowed to defend themselves from violent sociopaths, or if they have to just lie down and take it.
Or maybe people who call the police just deserve to be beaten to death.
Did you really say “maybe people who call the police deserves to be beaten to death” well I do hope none of your loved ones well ever need too make that call
How might you consider him a sociopath and if that was the case, would you get out of your car to accost a sociopath?
JG – consider this. Trayvon Martin was also a resident of the community. A man started following him in his car. And then on foot. That man had a gun. In Florida, you can defend yourself if you feel (you only have to FEEL) your life is threatened. So while you may think Zimmerman had a right to defend himself against Martin. But in reality, Martin also had a right to defend himself against Zimmerman. Stand Your Ground also applies to the child who was murdered, you know. If he did give Zimmerman those (minor) abrasions on his head, and… Read more »
Joanna the issue is that we don’t know who threw the first punch, Zimmerman is pleading self defense SYG by they way, The first illegal action comes when one of the individuals was hit, logically based off his size and athleticism trayvon was the first to punch him, its unlikely that zimmerman would have attacked a superior opponent in a fist fight, he would have pulled a gun the moment he felt threatened which we know didnt happen till he was on the floor. That means if this is true that the first person to do anything illegal was trayvon,… Read more »