As we approach the one year anniversary of the Murder of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin and I take my kids to school all full of energy and exuberance for a world that I am not sure is ready to receive them, I am forced to stop and think about TrayvonMartin.
Yes, I think about Trayvon Martin, still, and his parents, who I have had the pleasure of meeting and am sure never expected that there little boy full of energy and exuberance would meet an untimely demise at the hands of Troy Zimmerman, who I am certain will spend considerable time behind bars.
It is the countless number of Troy Zimmermans that have been massed-produced through privilege and bias and hatred that concern me. In what is considered to be a post racial society, bigots have clearly decided to mount what can only be described as “Custer’s Last Stand”.
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I am acutely aware of this through countless Tea party arguments and discussion around what the one percent would like to see as a return to the “old” or “original” country. GOP’ers where given a rude awakening into the emerging demographics in this country in the last Presidential election but are clearly not ready to concede power.
These are political fights that some emerging leaders like me are gearing up for. It’s not that fight that I am worried about. It’s the one on the ground that robs the young children in communities of color of exercising their creativity and intellect, the one that devalues their lives to such a degree that they turn on themselves.
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It’s the constant access to guns, drugs and violent culture that renders them nothing more that statistics.
Although the world may not be ready, I am duly bound to prepare my young people to take their respective rightful place in this society. This morning I am declaring that I value you-- not just my blood-related children, but all children across this great country!
Please help me today break a terrible cycle of mistrust, irresponsibility and apathy by simply hugging a child today starting with but not limited to your own. And join me in remembering that We Are All Trayvon Martin!
