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| Trayvon Martin |
Have racial tensions eased one bit since the Rodney King incident over twenty years ago? The fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and the handling of the case by Sanford, Florida police have made for a national outcry. The story gathers momentum while the polarizing statements of Geraldo Rivera, Al Sharpton and other talk show hosts add fuel to the fire. The senseless killing of a youngster wearing a hoodie armed with nothing but iced tea and candy hit a nerve in the African American community. Think about it. Would you suspect possible trouble from a young black man in a hoodie more than a white guy wearing one? Would most people be less likely to help a black man than somebody who is white? Would you get better service in a store being white? Would an African American have a harder time hailing a cab? When the answer to these and many related questions is a resounding "no", then we can point to real progress. When anyone who asks these questions isn't accused of "playing the race card" or "being guilty of reverse racism", then a real dialogue on racial harmony can happen.
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