In my opinion, the following blog post is so significant, it is my hope that every black blogger in the blogosphere will re-post it:
Why not invoke Charles Dickens given the dramatic times in which we are living? Two young men -- one still a minor. Two hoodies. One dies in his hoodie and the other becomes an overnight billionaire.
Trayvon Martin and Mark Zuckerberg both sported the hooded sweatshirts, known as hoodies, that are near-universal gear for those under 30, and beyond. Hey, even I've got a couple and maybe you do, too. People who support George Zimmerman claim that leftists want to make Trayvon Martin's death into a race issue when it is not -- even to the degree of blaming the victim for being killed by Zimmerman because he was wearing an ubiquitous hoodie.
"I think what's far more significant is what Trayvon Martin looked like on that night, Bill. Aside from the fact that he's dressed in that thug wear -- look at the size of him, he's not a little kid."Geraldo Rivera to Bill O'Reilly Fox News
Never mind that George Zimmerman outweighed his teenage victim Trayvon by about 100 lbs, reportedly. The hoodie made Trayvon look like a hood justifying an attack by a neighborhood vigilante. Yet when Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Wall Street during the roadshow run-up to Facebook's IPO, his choice of a hoodie instead of a stiff suit was lauded as culturally cool.
Sure, Zuck caught some static from Wall Street haters who wear ties, but most saw his casual attire represented via hoodie as a nod to Silicon Valley style where what's in your brain is more important than what you're wearing. Indeed, Zuckerberg's hoodie is standard issue at Facebook's Palo Alto headquarters and bears a special mandala design inside that expresses FB's design construct and flow.
Star Jones recently pointed out the double standard inherent in how two young men wearing hoodies were treated in the public eye by the media. She was dismissed as just another angry black woman by others on the show, and right-leaning bloggers on the 'net.
But does Star have a point? Trayvon committed no crime -- he was merely walking home one fateful night after a trip to 7-11 for Skittles -- yet was accosted by a stranger as suspicious in part, it's claimed, because of his hoodie. When Mark Zukerberg wore a hoodie to launch Facebook's public stock offering, he was praised as an icon of a new generation representing the best of American values.
We can see this mirror in law enforcement practices. Study after study shows that young whites are more likely to use marijuana than blacks or Latinos, yet blacks are at least seven times more likely to get arrested for the same offense. Mark Zuckerberg was probably not a victim of New York City's [or Peoria's] terrible "Stop and Frisk" policy during his recent trip to Wall Street's halls of power. But who's the real gangsta here?
Some Wall Street analysts are questioning possible unethical behavior by Facebook's executives and its partner Morgan Stanley in "selective dissemination of information" that gave insider knowledge to some large investors but not others. FB's stock is being called "muppet bait for the masses" who didn't know that Facebook's quarter one earnings estimates had been cut mid-launch. The stock is now sinking like a stone in the NASDAQ stock echange. It's not clear how much Zuckerberg himself knew about the alleged financial shenanigans and shakedowns. But we all must be left wondering -- who would Geraldo name as the hood wearing "thug wear" now?
It's a tale of two hoodies where guilt and innocence are turned upside down, where one young man ends up rich and another ends up dead -- depending on whether you're white or you're black.
Cheryl Contee writes as Jill Tubman for the award-winning & top-ranked black political blog JackAndJillPolitics.com, which she co-founded in 2006. She is also the co-founder of Fission Strategy, which provides innovative social media & mobile services to nonprofits and foundations. Cheryl specializes in online advocacy, engagement, and communications. Follow Cheryl Contee on Twitter at @ch3ryl.
21 comments:
In `85 Rivera worked for ABC News. Rivera's associate producer and then girlfriend, C. C. Dyer, was caught using an ABC messenger to score marijuana for a "friend." Both Geraldo and C.C. wound up leaving the network.
What nobody EVER says when talking about hoodies is this: Most people when wearing hoodies (I'm thinking Mark Zuckerberg included) don't put the hood up to hide their faces. It seems like the "thuglike" appearance is because the hood is up and they are purposely hiding their identity. This is just my observation.
Even though I didn't see what he was wearing when he was on Wall Street, I am willing to bet that he did not have the hood on...
Until Trayvon's death, I really had never given any thought to a sinister aspect of hoodies. Admittedly, as a teacher I preferred rules that outlawed hoodies because kids often used them to "hide" in the classroom--often to sleep. Also, I never associated the hoodie with only black kids.
I believe it is true that the hoodie lends itself to criminal behavior because it is a way to avoid identification, etc. However, Trayvon's wearing a hoodie was more than likely a protection against the rain. Therefore, no one should jump to the conclusion that Trayvon was trying to hide his identity.
No matter how it is spun, we still live in a world ruled my race. Interesting read.
A rapper friend of mine, who calls himself "Grade A Plus", has a line like this in a rap called, "Stop Trippin":
STOP TRIPPIN'!
And quickly move your feet...
when you see someone with a hoodie...in the hot July heat.
STOP TRIPPIN'!
Emerge,
which hoodie is more likely to shoot another hoodie wearing person?
I know that answer in Peoria. It also appears that as more comes out, Trayvon was not the innocent youth and martyr that he is claimed to be.
Reminds me of the media showing the victims of some of peoria's shootings as well as the perps. They are always good kids with a smile etc. Bet they weren't smiling when the pulled the trigger. Good kids generally aren't packing heat to begin with. Am sure the local Central basketball players that beat the crap out of that other youth will end up walking. Wouldn't want to interfere with their promising careers. That victim will be tossed aside. I am sure he's a good kid too.
Trayvon may or may not have been a "good" kid but he wasn't packing and he didn't shoot anybody. We do not yet know the whole truth. However, I still believe it is important to remember that Zimmerman was told by police not to pursue Trayvon. If he had obeyed the police, we wouldn't be talking about this case.
Mark doesn't look like a thug because his hood is down. If he was walking the streets at night with the hood up, I would think he was up to no good.
Soooo...whenever I wore a thing with a hood that we called a "sweatshirt" (been wearing them since the '60s), was I cool this whole time and didn't know it?? Was I supposed to be "packin'" when I wore them? Where did the term "hoodie" come from and who decided it was no longer a "sweatshirt" after all this time? Should I call my "sweatpants" something else? Someone educate me so I can be hip and cool again.
I own several hoodies and I can count the times I've worn the hood up on one hand.
The "thug" culture (for lack of a better term) which includes both black and white kids (and also including the thug wannabees) seem to wear the hood up way more frequently than any casual wearer of a sweatshirt (or hoodie). So I don't think it is so much the actual hoodie that makes you cool, but wearing the hood up is. Sorry Janet, you're probably still not considered cool :)
What difference does it make? Many white people think all black people look alike anyway. They couldn't identify them with or without a hoodie:)
It's a culture thing. You don't like it, you're a racist. I did learn something today though. White kids are the ones supporting rappers and their music, not blacks. I wonder if they (the whites) behind the shootings and killing of various rappers. It's never a black problem is it?
The problems are due to a drug and/or gang culture. Black culture is not synonymous with drugs and gangs. However, for instance, I believe administrators like Lathan accuse white teachers of not being able to teach black children. What I think she is doing is mixing up the drug/gang culture with black culture. No teacher should be asked to "accept" the drug and gang culture. Bad behavior isn't "black" either. Those young people who exhibit these negatives aren't practicing "blackness"; it is something altogether different.
"The problems are due to a drug and/or gang culture. Black culture is not synonymous with drugs and gangs. ...mixing up the drug/gang culture with black culture. Bad behavior isn't "black" either. Those young people who exhibit these negatives aren't practicing "blackness"; it is something altogether different."
I agree, Sharon.
I've thought a lot about this ordeal. I think the media has a lot to do with America's fear of the black man. Watch Cops, The First 48, or any other crime drama / reality show. The black male is portrayed as a criminal. I feel the television shows should spend one year reversing that role. Black males always play "good guys" and white males are always the "bad guys."
We had a foreign exchange student from Russia one year. She said, "Before I came to America, I thought all black people were criminals." Why? Because her exposure to American "culture" was via American television shows.
The movie "Juice" also comes to mind. Tupac in a hoodie. That's the first I can remember the hoodie being a kind of symbol of the outlaw. But think how race enters into things - would Trayvon have been targeted if he had been a white male dressed like Jesse James? Or even a white male with a hoodie? Doubt it.
The other thing that I see as a root of the problem is the handgun. There are countless ways to work out most issues without shooting first and asking questions later. Why in the hell was George carrying a gun? Do we want the Georges of this world walking around armed? I don't. Would he even have confronted Trayvon if he hadn't had that hand gun? Doubt it.
I'm not anti gun. I have several (for hunting). But I keep them locked up with the ammunition kept away from the guns.
I say carry a cell phone. If you're in trouble or suspect trouble, call 911 and allow someone trained in the use of lethal force handle the situation.
My kids won't be wearing hoodies. That's not because I find the hoodie to be inherently bad. It's because of how the media has portrayed the hoodie and the black man and I don't want a George to shoot my son's head off.
Adkins-Dutro
@casual observer: thanks! I was completely aghast at the thought that MAYBE I was actually "cool" at some point on the time/space continuum. Thought I'd have to adapt to a whole new way of thinking...alas! You have spared me the trouble!! :) Does this mean I DON'T have to call my "sweatpants" something else?? BTW, Dickens is one of my favorite authors. Currently reading Bleak House, taking in all 1,000 pages of pure smart-a### insolence and irreverence toward "all that is proper". It's the only thing that's made me laugh the past 11 months...sorry Sharon, didn't underline the title because there's no keyboard command allowing it when I type comments...my old spinster English teacher's apparition is about to drift once again through my locked front door...
Didn't Rocky wear a hoodie?
Adkins-Dutro
I have to agree, too many images of those who are poor, or commit crimes is minority face. When truthfully, there are more caucasians that are low-income than minorities. On other hand, I have noticed an increase in national TV commercials featuring minorities.
There's one TV show that's been broadcasting since June 16, 1975. It has showcased minorities (and low-income residents) in positive lights. Only problem is you had to have GE Cable/TCI/UA Cable Systems/ATT/Comcast cable service to watch it on either Channel 6, 5, 17, 32, now Channel 22: CAPtions.
Then, so many folks dropped cable for dish, so in 2010 we started uploading to YouTube. And we edit out folks with pants hanging down low, wearing a ballcap sideways, or rap with N-word or profanity.
Ironic, isn't it, Jeff, that I bought all those hoodies for your son without even thinking about any of this--until Trayvon? All I thought about was that it was OK since he can't wear them to school because he has to wear a uniform.
Just saw this today outside Shell Station at Valley Park Shopping Center: a girl about age 18, wearing a hoodie (or sweatshirt, whatever) with the hood UP (in 90 degree heat), chatting on a cell phone while standing near a female friend. Oh, and they were both white.
So walking down the sidewalk past her, should I have been careful to make sure I wouldn't be robbed?
Dragnet circa 1960s - all white criminals. Untouchables circa 1950s all white hoods, gangsters and thugs. Adam12 cira 70s Most white criminals.
I think society or at least TV reflects what is happening in some part to our world. So, you see a black arrested in the paper or two or three almost everyday. That is what TV represents. Never mind the white meth lab kids from Pekin or the white kid that shoots up a school.
And what kind of statement is it that a white teacher can't teach black students? I say bullshit.
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