7.16.2013

NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF WHITENESS: The Travesty and Tragedy of the Trayvon Martin - uh, Zimmerman - Trial


--> By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Trayvon Martin


I'm soooo sorry brothers and sisters, to inform you that there was a trial held in florida and they had the wrong person as the defendant.  I thought the trial was about a guy who had a gun and deliberately stalked a young innocent unarmed kid, and shot him for no specific reason other than he was Black.  But, somehow they seemed to be prosecuting (persecuting) the kid who was killed, instead of the maniac who killed him.  Is that right? Did you get that same indication? Or was I misinterpreting this whole thing?

Young Trayvon Martin


Anyway, I was down in DC celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., when I heard this collective gasp from almost all 40,000 of us at the same time:  the "jury" had found Zimmerman "not guilty" - he was free to go home.  It was like the shot heard round the convention center, response ranged from shock and disbelief to outrage.   No one apparently was prepared for florida's all white female, miss ann jury to be exactly who they are - the female versions of their male counterparts - racists to the core.

So the verdict is in folks.  Zimmerman, the murderer of young Trayvon Martin found "not guilty" by reason of whiteness (a/k/a insanity).

Did you really expect otherwise?  Really!
Did you expect justice in florida - Really!!!

The old saying that a leopard cannot change its spots - a proverb straight out of Africa - is as true now as when our wise ancestors first coined it.

Face it, Black people:  We are living in a racist country.  It was designed FWO (for whites only) - If you find that hard to believe, just ask our Indian ("native" Americans) brothers and sisters.  By the way, where are they now - oh, yes, still trying to get at least one treaty to work, "as long as the grass is green and the waters flow..." They are all too aware of the escape clauses used by whites against people of color.

The "redneck miss annes" were no more going to find Zimmerman guilty than Paula Deen being able to prove she didn't say what she said about Black people.  They're both guilty; both culpable, and both racist.  

"Not guilty by reason of whiteness." The Trayvon Martin trial - oops there I go again - the Zimmerman trial made for some good TV, didn't it?  It probably had the highest ratings ever - almost as bit as the OJ Simpson Trial.  Only this time you didn't have Johnnie Cochrane who could really take care of business.  I couldn't and didn't watch any of it.  It would have been even angrier than I am now, had I done so.  You see, the fix was already in.  After all, the trial did take place in florida - land of the hanging chads, Jeb Bush, alligators, crocodiles, swamps, and all that murky stuff.  (No aspersions on my Sorors from florida; if you were running things, it would be infinitely different).   

I doubt seriously that Zimmerman would have walked had we had a Cochrane in the courtroom.  So my brothers and sisters, where are they now - those lawyers, legal minds, legal eagles that we need to make sure that we get a "fair shake" if that even exists in this day and age in the US (guess we'd better start grooming them, because we are certainly going to need them; not just to chase ambulances, but to chase justice and wrestle it to the ground, from the cold hands of the whites who have it by the throat).

As a kid from Oklahoma, I used to watch a fair amount of cowboy movies.  There was always some point where the white guys had killed an innocent Indian, and they were outraged, and prepared to dispense justice swiftly in accordance with their cultural imperatives (and rightly so).  And some "hero" in the white hat would come and negotiate with the chief, promising that the "white man's justice" was even swifter and much more severe; and that they would handle it to make an example to the rest of white folks about what happens when you do something heinous.  The "good guy" usually ended up conning the Indian brother out of righteously meting out justice and exercising their right to punish the guilty; usurping their power.  Justice was not served then - turkey usually got a slap on the wrist, and was assigned elsewhere to terrorize other Indian nations.  

The same scenario was repeated every where whites have set foot - Japan, China, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, India - the "white man's justice" was more "powerful" than that of the "indigenous" people.  So here we are today - July 2013 - and it's the sos (same old shit) different day.  Floridians - the white ones - think they have gotten Zimmerman off.  They think they have thumbed their noses at Black people; put us in our "places".  Interesting isn't it how things devolve because people never learned to read the handwriting on the wall.

When God gives you a chance to redeem yourselves, and you don't take it, there's a reckoning - and it's coming for florida, the jury, Zimmerman, the lawyer and his wife; the so-called prosecution; the defense - the whole lot.  You guys just keep piling it on,  and, because you have no soul, you can't sense (or feel) when you've taken one step too far into the land of iniquity.  You've just stepped in the afundisi (ah-fun-dee-see/ = shit), up to your knee caps, and you're sinking fast.  You think you can continue to come up with different angles and you'll escape the consequences. 

You may be saying at this moment that you have no fear of Black boycotts, marches, investigations, or other means by which we make you understand our displeasure - but what you failed to realize is that we do really really really have a God who sits high and looks low and observes everything that transpires - and a leveling of the playing field, part II, is about to jump off.  This is not just about florida - it's any and all places in the US of A where repression, jimcrowism, discrimination and outright racism has re-reared its ugly head, and is looking to re-establish yet another strangle hold on our lives.  I.e.  stuff like evisceration of the voting rights acts; gerrymandering Black neighborhoods; taking peoples homes thru bogus foreclosures; closing down schools in Black communities under the guise of low performance; sterilizing Black women; etc., etc., etc. You get my drift?

Emmett Till was an innocent who was murdered by white racists in Mississippi.  His mother made sure the entire nation saw what they had done to her son.  I remember, I was 9 and it was on the cover of Jet and Ebony magazines on our coffee table.  I met Ms. Maymie Till Irving years later, when she was doing a speaking engagement at the Schomberg Library in Harlem.  She spoke of how people, seeing his picture, were catalyzed into action who would never have taken a stand before. 

There is a reckoning when the guilty are set free and the innocent continue to suffer.  "Not guilty by reason of whiteness" has long been your escape clause, but it's about to be eviscerated as well.  Many have called the recent events a white backlash -  Be that as it may, backlashes have been known to backfire.  Look for a conflagration.  By the way, the reckoning works both ways - for those of deeper melanin who walk lock step with these miscreants, you can't escape the consequences of your action - or inaction - as the case may be.  

I don't know what the Almighty has planned.  I'm not privy to that information; but I do know that 2007-2008 was a prelude to something even bigger; you had  an opportunity to get it right; make a midcourse correction.  You got part of the way when President Obama was elected.  Too bad you shot yourselves in the foot by letting your racism override the possibility of transforming this into a country for all the people.  

So look out for part II.  And remember you started it; you had a chance to redeem yourselves and you didn't.  "Not guilty by reason of whiteness," the means by which Zimmerman was able to walk free for premeditated, cold blooded murder - will haunt you in the world arena for the rest of your existence.  

For the rest of my Black family, I've included an article by Terrie M. Williams, the Diva of PR and author of "Black Pain" that may help many of you get through this, because we have a lot of work to do TOGETHER.  Enjoy!


STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson



The Terrie Williams Agency <tmwms@terriewilliams.com> wrote:

Terrie M. Williams
By Terrie M. Williams Author/Mental Health Advocate

BLACK PAIN:
10 Ways to Heal Your Broken Heart

The death of Trayvon-and the acquittal of his killer-has devastated many of us. Terrie M. Williams offers ways to cope

With the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin, we once again find ourselves mourning a young Black spirit taken from us far too soon. As survivors, we are charged with honoring Martin and the countless others we've lost by standing strong, supporting one another and taking time to consider both our individual well-being and the collective well-being of our community.  

At every turn in our lives, we learn that no matter our credentials, we are often treated as "less than" our White counterparts. Taught that we have to be twice as good to get comparable compensation. Treated as if we are at once both invisible and highly conspicuous-ignored when we are in need and profiled when we are simply proceeding. That a self-appointed neighborhood patrolman targeted Martin because he looked "suspicious" speaks volumes about the experiences we have in communities across the country each and every day.

The trauma of racism is accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder for many and a great, hidden sense of pain for most. For those who have been following the events that occurred after the killing of Trayvon Martin last year, this weekend's not guilty verdict has been particularly soul crushing-bringing all that pain, that
Black pain,
to the surface.So how do we address our heartbreak? Here are some practices/steps we can all take in the service of our individual and collective healing.


1) Look Away:
You may need to take a break from the TV/radio/Internet/newspaper in order to protect yourself. The Zimmerman verdict will undoubtedly dominate the airwaves for the foreseeable future; taking a pause from the 24-hour-news cycle does not mean that you are less vested in justice for Trayvon-but it may be critical for your self-care.   

2) Write About It: 
Start to keep a journal-pour your heart, feelings, emotions into it. Include powerful quotes, clippings from magazines and even pictures that help you express the range of your feelings, including anger. Read a blog post that summed up your feelings about Trayvon better than you can? Print out a copy and include it in your journal.   

3) Let Your Feelings Out:
 Unspoken grief and pain are toxic to our bodies and minds. They keep us from being our best selves. Men, women and children should all feel safe shedding tears when they come-and the senseless murder of a teen is certainly worth crying over.   

4) Seek Help: Consider reaching out to a professional counselor or therapist to help you process what you feel. There is
no shame
in getting help. I find that therapy is the gift that keeps on giving. It helps me to clarify my thoughts and process heartbreaking situations like this. Counseling can be a necessary lifeline. We cannot be or breathe properly if we don't release the unresolved pain, wounds, scars and trauma of our childhoods. We cannot be all that God has called us to be.
The trauma of racism is accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder for many and a great, hidden sense of pain for most.

5) Redefine "Strength":
We often confuse being "strong" with being silent. True strength lies in knowing when to ask for help, when to let the tears flow, when you are overwhelmed. The death of Trayvon Martin is one that has taken a great toll on our collective psyches... no time for silence. Be strong enough to be proactive in healing your heart as you work to seek justice.   

6) Get Moving: 
Go to the gym or for a run/walk. Exercise releases tension and helps turn frustration into feeling constructive. A friend of mine just walked 10 miles to process her emotions about Trayvon. She left her house feeling angry and returned feeling renewed and resolved.   

7) Shake a Hand, Make a Friend: 
Make eye contact with someone passing by, smile and say "hello"... you may be the first person who made such a gesture towards them today. Many of us are walking around in need of love, support and communion with our fellow man and tragedies make that even more critical. 

8) Give Back:
Honor Trayvon's memory by committing a few hours a week to volunteer with teens in your neighborhood. Affirm the worth of the young people in your community and let them know that they are valuable, loved and supported. 

9) Fight the Power:
Channel your rage and anguish over the verdict effectively and get involved with local/national efforts to fight for justice for Trayvon Martin. Participating in rallies/protests will allow you to connect with others who are feeling the same way as you, but don't stop there. If you aren't already, get politically engaged! Hold politicians accountable and help your friends/family do the same. 

10) Say "I Love You":
Tomorrow is never promised and there are two grieving parents in the spotlight who will never have the chance to put their arms around their beloved son again. In the midst of our anguish over the loss of a child most of us never met, we must remember to show love to the people in our lives right now, while we can. 

Terrie M. Williams

P.S. Check out Terrie speaking about The Personal Touch to 500 college graduates at Metropolitan College of New York's  College Commencement in June 2013. 
You Will Be Inspired!

Author Bio
Terrie M. Williams is a mental health activist and  the author of "Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting" .

You can follow her on Facebook and  Twitter
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1 comment:

  1. Great article and point about the Zimmerman Trial, yes it was too much about Trayvon Martin and who he was and what he did and why etc, etc ... instead of Who Zimmerman was, why and why did he follow Trayvon, confront him, get out the car

    ReplyDelete

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