I haven’t said a peep about the Travon Martin case and now
it’s time to share my very small piece of mind. My fourteen year old recently started jogging
around the neighborhood – at 6 a.m. in the morning. Being the protective mother I am, I accompany
him - on a bicycle. This morning, as we started on our way, he on foot and me
closely behind on wheels, I began to pray for him as I always do. He’s such an
inspiration and such an unusual young man, my prayer is to support him and be
the mother he needs to help him accomplish the extraordinary goals he has set
for his life. While praying, I noticed he was wearing a hoodie. It was a hoodie
his father and I purchased for him from Belks. It’s a nice jacket and if it had
not been on sale, it would still be on the rack or on someone else’s back. At
the very moment I noticed my son’s hoodie, was the very first time I ever gave
the Travon Martin case any serious thought.
What happened to Travon Martin
happens more frequently than we care to imagine, but Travon’s case, as puzzling
as it is, is touching hearts and homes
across the world. My son’s hoodie wasn’t the first thing I noticed while he
ran, I was mainly concerned for his safety at 6 a.m. in the morning – not as a
young black boy, but as a young man falling prey to predators; his hoodie was
an afterthought. Why on Earth, does the hoodie hold so much power? Why does the hoodie hold so many stereotypes
when all ages, genders, and colors, wear them? I too, had on a jacket with a
hoodie, although the hoodie wasn’t on my head.
 |
| My 6 a.m. jogger |
All it takes is one personal experience for our hidden racism
to be unveiled. Whatever Zimmerman’s personal experience was with young black
men wearing hoodies, it was nurtured in his mind for so long, he couldn’t help
himself when he made his impulsive 911 call. What hasty calls or actions are
you guilty of?
As my son continued to run, I noticed the hoodie was no
longer on his head. When we returned to the house, 30 minutes later, I asked
him why he took his hoodie off. He said it just fell off his head while he was
running. Wouldn’t it be nice if our hoodies of racism, stereotypes, and
prejudices fell off? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could remove the portion of our
brain creating illusions and prejudging people? A part of us won't allow us to see individuals as…individuals. Wouldn’t it be nice to just be you?
If I allowed my son to run alone, I wonder if
he would be looked at strangely or if other early morning walkers would be
cautious of their own safety? He’s a sweet boy and would do anything to protect
you, but because he was wearing a hoodie and running outside at an ungodly time
of the morning, he made himself a target in the minds of many of the neighbors who have no idea who he is. So, before you point the finger at Zimmerman or anyone else for an
unjust act, check yourself. Take your hoodie off before you judge someone
else’s hoodie. Think about your thoughts of others and don’t be so quick to mentally or physically kill
another Travon Martin.
