Race

Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, The Cloaking Device, and Me

Since the verdict in the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman came down I’ve been in a state of shock, so much so that only recently have I been able to sort out my emotions or thoughts on the matter. For the sake of my readers, I’d decided to focus a few blog posts on aspects that directly impact me.

I stand forty-eight inches tall, am black, Christian, and gay. And I live in the south. (I thank you now for keeping all quips and punchlines to yourself.) My parents were hardworking, middle class people who valued education (they were the first in their families to graduate from college) and  labored to bring to fruition the world of Dr. King’s efforts for their children.

I knew early on that I was physically different from members of my own family, the other black kids at my elementary school, my white classmates at the private junior high school I attended, and basically the rest of the world. But I knew I was just as capable as everyone else.

Along with that self-perception, I carried a curiosity and appreciation as to what shaped people into who they were internally. And from elementary school to college to my days at Disney and beyond, people have been eager to share with me their cultural, religious, and social experiences; be it in response to direct questions or by simply inviting me into their world. I realized very early on that while we all have physical and cultural differences, the things we share in common far outnumber those differences.

That belief system has been as central to my being for as long as I can remember.

I also grew up with an awareness of racial inequities, but moved through life with the understanding that the novelty of my height would supersede my race on the attention scale and render any real or imagined fears or misconceptions about me as a black man null and void. How threatened could anyone be by a well-spoken, good-natured, short, black man? And I was certainly not about to nor have I ever put myself in a situation where I gave anyone reason to feel threatened. The odds of me leaving a physical altercation unscathed are not in my favor.

The number of times people have crossed the street or avoided me are negligible compared to number of times its happened to other black men. (Now the grocery store, that’s a-whole-nother story. Me, moms, and kids? It’s not about being black. The duck and dodge that goes on sometimes in the Publix aisles is indubitably about my height. (For a comic take on that experience, click here.)

People have considered my height a detriment, a challenge, and even a strike against me. And at just about every one of them I chuckle to myself and think, “You’re kidding me, right?” My height has opened many a door for me. It’s been a platform for me. Each and every one of my forty-eight inches has afforded the opportunity to expand countless people’s perception about black people, Little People, Christians, and gays.

Tell me, who’s the person that’s handicapped: the one who’s limited in their perception of others or the one who’s open to possibility and inclusion?

The Take-away  Given the verdict in the State of Florida vs George Zimmerman case and the Stand Your Ground laws, I have reason to pause. The cards are stacked against me, any other black male, or anyone unjustly profiled in Florida and the nineteen other states where Stand Your Ground laws are on the books. Basically, if I visit friends in their gated Sanford community (and I do have friends who live in a gated community, in Sanford) and I am perceived as threatening by neighbors as walk down the sidewalk to my friends’ home with my Dooney & Burke backpack flung over my shoulder as I am wont to do, the law says that neighbors have the right to gun me down with impunity, on the grounds that they were fearful of my intent. Forget any special instructions on how to interact with the police so as not to put oneself at undue risk. Ludicrous, you say? Methinks Trayvon Martin would beg to differ.

This is the world I live in. This is the world you live in. It sickens me. And it should sicken you.

10 thoughts on “Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, The Cloaking Device, and Me”

  1. Joe says:

    Clay you are correct that it is truly sad that a young life was brought to a sudden halt. We also me remember that Stand Your ground was not used in this Court case, only self defense. Yes George should not have followed Trayvon, but that is also not against the law. Don’t get me wrong I do feel bad that a life was taken, but it does take 2 people to be in a fight. I am not saying that George was right but in our system of law the burden falls to the court system and they just did not have enough evidence.

    1. Clay Rivers says:

      Joe, brought to an abrupt end sounds like a random event, like lightning strike, avalanche, or flash flood. A teenager was murdered. I think you’ve missed the point of my post … which is this: if someone feels threatened by me, they can incorrectly assume that I am a ne’er-do-well, follow me, gun me down, and claim that they were fearful that I might take their life with impunity. And as an aside, because I am a black male, chances are the state will turn a blind eye to the incident. That’s the current state of affairs in Florida. Thanks for giving the post a read and sharing your comment.

  2. Sam says:

    Like a kick to the stomach. To really understand that my beloved home State has come to the point where someone can literally stalk someone and instigate a confrontation, then use deadly force when it becomes clear they are over matched physically is heart wrenching. More disturbing are the comments I see from people about how this was a self defense case…well only if you mean that when you stalk someone and they defend themselves you are then perfectly reasonable in using deadly force to stop them. If they’re black, even more so…maybe you don’t even need to get them to attack you before you can pull the trigger. Sick sick place we’ve come to. 🙁

    1. Clay Rivers says:

      Sam, “a kick to the stomach” is a nice analogy. I sat in front of my television stunned at the verdict. I believe the only way to affect any real change is a two-prong approach: 1) changing the laws, and 2) open dialog between people on both sides of this issue about humanity, rights, and equality.

  3. Lori S. says:

    Justice was definitely NOT served for Trayvon Martin and his family! I was mad as hell at the decision and despise the Stand Your Ground law for being so easily hidden behind. Thank you for sharing your point of view on it, Clay.

    1. Clay Rivers says:

      Lori, this whole thing has turned back the clock on a number of issues and ushered in an overt “wild west” climate. Thank you for sharing your viewpoint as well.

  4. fgmvil@aol.com says:

    Clay I am in the Same state of shock….guess that would now be known as the state of Florida…..and It is a sorry state in my mind….love you and love reading anything you write….PJV

    1. Clay Rivers says:

      PJV, thanks for your support. I encourage you to share this post with any- and everyone you think you could have an honest conversation with about the current state of this union.

  5. Cindy says:

    Clay, I was waiting for your blog posting on this tragedy. You have hit spot on every painful point of this awful story and outcome, except when you mention Mr Martin begging to differ. That young man’s words are lost to history and time, as we only heard one man’s version of what happened. You and I, as Flordians, can only pray that people see what this sorry law has brought us to, and that as Floridians we can work, now, to change it.

    1. Clay Rivers says:

      Cindy, let’s hope an authentic dialog about race in Florida and America will now take place. And that we all will regain the humanity that binds us all.

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