Feb. 26, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's body was found in Sanford, Fla., after being shot by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old self-appointed neighborhood watch captain. Martin was walking home, armed only with a bag of skittles and a bottle of iced tea when Zimmerman shot him in self defense, according to the police reports (ABC News).
Citizens around the country are outraged over the shooting of Trayvon Martin. One month after the young boy's death, reports of questionable police conduct and interviews with Martin's parents and girlfriend, the conversation about his shooting is growing even stronger.
Perhaps the most prominent conversation has to deal with Martin's apparel. Zimmerman reported that he thought Martin looked suspicious with his hood up (it was raining). People have begun using this hooded image as a symbol of solidarity for the Martin family. Pictures the hooded Miami Heat team as well as a video of Rep. Bobby Rush wearing a hood in Congress have surfaced online.
It is important to analyze Martin's hood and it's significance, if any at all. Journalists such as the Poynter Institutes Mallary Jean Tenore and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Eugene Kane urge people to look past the hoodie, and I couldn't agree more. Yes, the hoodie may be one of the contributing factors that prompted Zimmerman to begin following Martin and ultimately resulted in his death. But many people, including myself, would argue that it was the stereotype of African American teenagers with hooded sweatshirts and baggy pants that contributed to Martin's death, rather than the hood itself. This racial tension is happening everywhere, not just in Sanford, Fla. We've come a long way since the Emancipation Proclamation, but we're no where near social equality, folks.
It is always important to be unbiased as a journalist – I am fully aware and supportive of that. However, I see no harm showing your support for a family whose son was taken too soon, no matter what your profession may be. In the world of sports where so many referees make the wrong call, I think ESPN got it right when it reversed the decision not to allow employees to post photos of themselves wearing hoodies in solidarity with Martin.
That being said, there is a line between showing remorse and support for the Martin family and publicly displaying your opinions on whether Zimmerman should be arrested, released, tried, killed, etc. No one is celebrating Martin's death, whether they think Zimmerman should be prosecuted or not. I believe that is because this truly was an unfortunate tragedy, regardless if Zimmerman's intentions were or were not congruent with his actions.
"We have decided to allow this particular expression of human sympathy," said an ESPN representative regarding their decision to overturn their policy related to Martin's case. And that's exactly what this situation has sparked – human sympathy, empathy and compassion. What is wrong with that?
Citizens around the country are outraged over the shooting of Trayvon Martin. One month after the young boy's death, reports of questionable police conduct and interviews with Martin's parents and girlfriend, the conversation about his shooting is growing even stronger.
Perhaps the most prominent conversation has to deal with Martin's apparel. Zimmerman reported that he thought Martin looked suspicious with his hood up (it was raining). People have begun using this hooded image as a symbol of solidarity for the Martin family. Pictures the hooded Miami Heat team as well as a video of Rep. Bobby Rush wearing a hood in Congress have surfaced online.
It is important to analyze Martin's hood and it's significance, if any at all. Journalists such as the Poynter Institutes Mallary Jean Tenore and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Eugene Kane urge people to look past the hoodie, and I couldn't agree more. Yes, the hoodie may be one of the contributing factors that prompted Zimmerman to begin following Martin and ultimately resulted in his death. But many people, including myself, would argue that it was the stereotype of African American teenagers with hooded sweatshirts and baggy pants that contributed to Martin's death, rather than the hood itself. This racial tension is happening everywhere, not just in Sanford, Fla. We've come a long way since the Emancipation Proclamation, but we're no where near social equality, folks.
It is always important to be unbiased as a journalist – I am fully aware and supportive of that. However, I see no harm showing your support for a family whose son was taken too soon, no matter what your profession may be. In the world of sports where so many referees make the wrong call, I think ESPN got it right when it reversed the decision not to allow employees to post photos of themselves wearing hoodies in solidarity with Martin.
That being said, there is a line between showing remorse and support for the Martin family and publicly displaying your opinions on whether Zimmerman should be arrested, released, tried, killed, etc. No one is celebrating Martin's death, whether they think Zimmerman should be prosecuted or not. I believe that is because this truly was an unfortunate tragedy, regardless if Zimmerman's intentions were or were not congruent with his actions.
"We have decided to allow this particular expression of human sympathy," said an ESPN representative regarding their decision to overturn their policy related to Martin's case. And that's exactly what this situation has sparked – human sympathy, empathy and compassion. What is wrong with that?