Unless you have been living under a rock, almost all of you who are reading this article are familiar with the recent killing of young Trayvon Martin at the hands of a delusional vigilante. What I find almost equally disturbing is the reactions that some have had to this incident. While most are correct to note that young Trayvon’s only “crime” was being black, it has been troubling to see how a nearly equal amount of individuals have attempted to run as fast as possible from the elephant in the room.
Few things make individuals more uncomfortable than frank, open, and honest discussions about race, racism, and privilege. Many insist that such things as “injustice,” “racism,” and “inequality” are things of the past, and that we are now living in a “colorblind” society, in which it is impossible to be racist at all, so long as you teach yourself how to not “see” color. Their assertions, however, could not be less grounded in reality.
Those who defend injustice are no better than those who cause it: Some individuals adopt a mindset that if you do not wish to be discriminated against, then you should just stop “acting black.” In other words, they argue, if you “act black” or “act ghetto” (two notions they see as identical), then you deserve to be met with indignation and/or derogatory slurs. These folks are usually always quick to accuse others of playing the “race card” in response to any attempted discussions on the topic of racism, believing that such discussions are nothing more than the whining of a petulant child. These arguments are as absurd as – and unsurprisingly similar to – the claims of those who believe that sexual assault victims could have prevented their attacks if they had somehow “dressed less provocatively.” Being an apologist solves nothing, and reveals a deep-rooted belief that certain groups just need to shut up and “know their place.”
An unwillingness to discuss privilege leads to the creation of racist ideology: Many people like to think that everyone has an equal playing field in this country; that everyone has an equal likelihood of being successful. It’s a nice little concept that fits right into our egocentric tendency to believe that our own personal successes are due to nothing other than our own willingness to “work hard.” When confronted with the mountains of data that show otherwise (consider, for example, that Blacks and Latinos are much more likely to be unemployed and to stay unemployed, compared to equally educated and qualified White folks), the resulting cognitive dissonance leads many to cling to the notion that certain groups are inherently “disadvantaged or lazy.”
Colorblindness is a dangerous practice: It is the belief of many parents and school administrators that if they downplay or ignore discussing injustice and racism as relevant topics, then things like racism and injustice will just “go away.” Mountains of research clearly show otherwise. A colorblind mindset can, for example, cause children to (A) fail to recognize incidents of overt racism; and (B) fail to report such incidents appropriately and accurately.
We all bear a responsibility to no longer avoid that elephant in the room. We must all be willing to have open and honest dialogue about race, racism, and privilege, rather than treat them as some ethereal concepts that are merely academic in nature.
About Nick Baez
There are white hispanics! Some of our ancestors come from Europe too….
R.I.P
and if you think his scenario was bad, read this one. Colorblind my ass! http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/woman-demanding-care-at-st-mary-s-hospital-is-arrested/article_ed640f3d-64a0-516c-88ff-fb770b5e9677.html#ixzz1qBGogtCa
I feel sorry for him and his family….but what about all the hundreds of little kids who are killed everyday…I’m just sayin we need to recognize all of them
It is a tragic situation, but blindness is never the solution. Keep in mind that Zimmerman is Hispanic.
What how is Zimmerman spanish he doesnt look it at all, does it discuss who zimm family is and where they come from. This action was unacceptable and sensless, how dare u kill an innocent child for walking on ur block!
The 911 calls show Zimmerman was far from colorblind….he calls Trayvon a “coon”. This was clearly a hate crime!
I will say the same words that Will Smith used we live in America were a girl is arrested on site for pouring flour on Kim Kardashian but a man who killed Travon Martin is free.
This story is about Justice. We want justice for Trayvon Martin period. Colorblind has never been a reality in the U.S. that is an ongoing struggle. Justice in the U.S. is an ongoing struggle. This case is about a dangerous gun law and a dangerous police and political system in Florida.
Nicole A, zimmerman is 1/2 spanish { mothers side } father is white { just seen that on news posting {local station} , i cant understand on how a person can hate soo much of ones race , he wasnt born to hate , he was tought that …. even my dad was teaching us to hate certain races , til i told him no !” not all races are like that , some are good ,& some are bad..
To Manuel he is half hispanic and white-non the less his actions were rectless. One can be from any background, nationality and or race and still be racist.
Zimmerman isn’t spanish but he is of Latin decent, & nothing is clear until all the evidence is revealed. God bless Trayvon’s family.
Even if he is Latino, that doesn’t matter!! Some Latinos discriminate against their own, and anyone who is different than them. Zimmerman’s mother is Peruvian and his father is Caucasian. And the injustice for Trayvon is speaking for the injustices of all the innocent children that have been murdered. But seriously, Media will not cover it all!
The prick need to be charge for the killing of the boy and just to think and what society are we living in. Racism exist very much, i just hope he doesn’t get away for the crime he has commited.
A friend of mine questioned how come this attached article has not been addressed by Obama. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-04/news/31122324_1_white-boy-fire-tv-station. Racial tensions suck
No race is “good or bad”; but certain individuals are.
And which one of you sat and listened to the evidence and testimony at the grand jury before stating your well informed opinions? That would be zero.
a lot of people come from places where they also swear there is no such thing as racism but chop up anything racial to ‘classism’ so they can pretend to be a colorblind society. I see that happening in Usa now and to deny racism is the new racism. Now its ‘well you should not dress like my negative stereotype of a poor black person if you do not want to get shot’. The same types of minds say a woman raped is a woman who asked for it by her dress or mannerisms. This country is going backwards.
HEY FOLKS!!! Let’s not forget that “we” “Americans” have our priorities straight!!! http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/03/kim-kardashian-gets-floured-on-red-carpet/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-friend-idUSBRE82O0FE20120325
Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic…
“What the president said, in a sense, is disgraceful. It’s not a question of who that young man looked like. Any young American of any ethnic background should be safe, period. We should all be horrified no matter what the ethnic background.Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it didn’t look like him. That’s just nonsense dividing this country up. It is a tragedy this young man was shot. It would have been a tragedy if he had been Puerto Rican or Cuban or if he had been white or if he had been Asian American of if he’d been a Native American. At some point, we ought to talk about being Americans. When things go wrong to an American, it is sad for all Americans. Trying to turn it into a racial issue is fundamentally wrong. I really find it appalling.” – Newt Gingrich
yellow, red, green, orange, any child to go through anything like that- even without fatality deserves justice
Anybody who quotes Newt Gingrich has ZERO credibility.
If you want to hear real bias and manipulation, then note the new term being used for Zimmerman…”white-hispanic”. I guess that would make Obama a “white-African”. Let that one marinate.
It is true we should seek to put this in the broader social context of a right vs wrong thing. Recognize that race may play an issue in many situations, but also see that this is basic inhumanity. Fundamentally wrong in a society that should value life and safeguard living beings.
all this talk about a “white-hispanic” killing a young black kid, yet what about the blacks killing blacks? hispanics killing hispanics? etc. man just killing each other? the fact that the 911 operator told mr. zimmerman to stand back do not chase after him should be enough to charge zimmerman with something….i understand protecting your property, family, community but to me zimmerman obviously went to far.