#JusticeForTrayvon

One day, my nieces--ages 3, 4, and 5--are going to experience some type of racial injustice. Someone will then have to explain to them that, because of the color of their skin, they are viewed as inferior in the eyes of many others. Someone will have to tell them that, with the exception of sports, they will have to work twice as hard to be given the same recognition that others receive for their efforts. They will always have to be cognizant of their behavior in the public sphere, lest they appear “too black” or an agitator of some sort.

But what’s even more disheartening is the fact that they’ll have to be made aware of the fact that there is an equally likely chance of being debased by someone who looks just like them—a black man who thinks their skin is “too dark”, their hair “shouldn’t be natural”, their demeanor shouldn’t be “so angry”, or what have you. (The same could example could be given in reverse if I had nephews.) The unfortunate reality is that, there’s a significant intraracial gap between black men and women that continues to widen each day. We engage in Oppression Olympics, competing to see who has it the hardest in society, rather than empathizing with our unique, similar struggles. Lazily, we accept the generalizations that society placed upon our male/female counterparts, when no one knows more of the truth about US than US.

I say all that to say this, Black men and women can’t continue to engage in this constant battle of the sexes. We just cannot. With recent story of Trayvon Martin being senselessly murdered at the hands of a white, neighborhood watchmen, it is quite obvious that we are a long way from being a “post-racial society”. A 17-year-old was killed in cold blood by a white man who thought he looked too suspicious to be in his affluent neighborhood at night and police have yet to charge the man. You can hear from the 911 call that the boy was clearly crying for help before he was shot at point blank range. If something like this can happen in 2012, what will our children and our children’s children be faced with? The last thing we need to be doing is bickering amongst one another. Yes, society as a WHOLE needs to change but, charity starts at home and why should others take care of us, if we don't even take care of us. Just my thoughts.

Click HERE to sign the petition to have the killer of Trayvon Martin prosecuted.