Ever since Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on that faithful night, America has been on their toes about the stereotypes that have been put under a spotlight.
There are all types of statistics that are supposed to show that young black men have to be more careful with how they act, and it gets harder when those stereotypes only worsen from it.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, young black men are more fearful of their futures ever since the incident with Trayvon Martin.
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A 19-year-old boy named Jaboris Haynes spoke with the Sentinel and revealed:
“Sometimes it hurts. When I was younger, I thought of being a different race and wondered what it would be like. The message I got about being a young black man wasn’t a good message. I always felt like somebody was after me, like they were judging me, just because I’m a black male.”
He goes on to say how he fears that he will end up being a statistic, rather than treated like a real human being.
“I want people to know that I’m a lovable person, I’m kind, I can be a good friend, I’m reliable, trustworthy,” he says on a break from his summer job as a camp counselor. He slumps forward, shaking his head. “But being a young black man, you have a lot of people talking down on you.”
Jason Henry who is 28, works for Disney and is running for the Florida House of Representatives says:
“Sure — I’ve been in a store here recently where I was followed around — even though I was in a suit. You know, I’m looking at something, and all of a sudden there’s someone next to me dusting.”
Orlando Sentinial also reports:
Joseph Shirley, a 28-year-old husband, father and small-business owner, is slightly built, well-spoken and college-educated. One day in 2009, he tagged along as a friend — a restaurant manager — deposited a check at a local bank. They were both wearing sweat shirts. Shirley waited in the lobby while his friend went to the teller window.
But after the two returned to their car and started to pull out of the parking lot, a police officer — his patrol vehicle’s lights swirling — ordered them to pull over.
A bank manager, it turned out, had called police to report their “suspicious” behavior, saying the two looked like they intended to rob the place.
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Whether it is be getting stopped by the police randomly, or getting followed around in a store, black men have to keep fighting stereotypes, no matter where they may be from or how they were raised.
Do you guys think that stereotypes are tearing the communities apart?
Source: Orlando Sentinel
