I took my 5-year-old brother to the park as he played with a group of boys from all different shades. I thought about Trayvon Martin and how he played in a park at one time. How he had dreams that will never happen all because someone hated the color of his skin.
I have to be one of the most peaceful people in the world. I study and believe in Dr. King’s teachings. I attend church, pray and yet I find myself angry, angry that another one of my peers has died at the hands of adults that say they want to protect their community.
Then I look at my brother and I just started crying, crying because I know he is a walking, breathing target. I know that one day he will be stopped because of the color of his skin.
I know doors will be closed to him without people even getting to know the person behind his name. I know the chance that he will be killed is just as great as it is for him going to jail.
So I cry harder, then I stop and remember the words of Dr. King, “That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing.”
So I stop feeling angry and begin planning. Trayvon’s murder must not go unpunished, we as a community must not forget. The police that handled this case and the community itself must be made to remember Trayvon Martin.
I used to ask myself why boys run from the police. What made adults get afraid when police drove up next to them? The first thing you hear is, the police are next to us or the police are behind us.
Now it all makes sense to me. Police are human and like most humans, they make mistakes and they take their personal views to work. If you are a racist man and you have a job as a police officer, lawyer or doctor, you still are a racist, by fault you cannot or will you protect and serve everyone the same.
The real tragedy in this case is Trayvon’s murderer was playing police and is being protected by the police.
There something happening in this country. A great divide, racist groups popping up all over the place. Unjust laws being passed, racist, boldly made statements across the airwaves and murders of young unarmed men flood the news.
Something also is happening in communities all of this country: mobilization and a community coming together. Not for years has there been so many groups working together in the name of justice.
Never before has there been so much technology to help in the fight. My mentor told me the revolution will not be televised, but it will be tweeted, blogged and emailed.
Join Rev, Al Sharpton Thursday, 22 7:00 p.m. at the First Shiloh Baptist Church as we come together to demand justice for Trayvon.
