Justice For Oscar Grant

SPOILER ALERT: If you HAVEN'T seen Fruitvale Station, do not read this post.

I am PISSED.

ELEVEN MONTHS?!?!?!?!?

Let me get this straight. The value of the life of black Americans has been no jail time and eleven months for the murderers of Trayvon and Oscar, respectively? Bull.

While the circumstances of both murders were arguably exceptionally different, the common thread - as I've written before - is that of the fear of the black male in America. The police officers involved in the killing of Amadou Diallo, Malice Green, Oscar Grant - I mean gosh, I must've just gotten tongue tied with the loss of life of unarmed black males - looked at Oscar and thought that he was a threat. Why else would they kick and beat someone who was the VICTIM of an altercation on a train? Moreover, why was he targeted on the train in the first place? I'll grant you, movies may indulge in the facts, but I find it believable that Oscar was pulled off the train because he looked suspicious (sound familiar George Zimmerman?).

We're back at the point where because of a stereotype (our black males are inherently bad), society has a right to protect themselves and others from them. This imbalance of power is exceptionally scary when we provide those with power (resources, money, guns) access to differentially treat our black brethren. There is a PROBLEM when folks do not feel like everyone is equal. This means that work not only needs to be done within communities, it needs to be done across the board. Even if EVERY SINGLE BLACK-ON-BLACK MURDER was prevented (the major position taken by several pundits regarding black folks "overreaction" to the Trayvon Martin killing and verdict), the discrimination that leads to crimes against blacks (and perhaps more importantly, that leads to within race hatred and violence) is still alive and well.

I find myself most upset by two points from the Oscar Grant case:

1) The cop got 11 months for killing Oscar. And while this is 11 more months than George Zimmerman, the shooting was recorded and witnessed by several people. Folks argue that since Zimmerman was the only witness left in the Trayvon case, we didn't have the real story. Welp, I just watched 4 videos that all showed the same story: Oscar was shot in the back as he was restrained and held to the ground by two cops. Thus, the unarmed young man didn't even have to do any of the alleged things that Trayvon did to get killed. But alas, his life was taken by a man who believed he was reaching for his taser. I can't state whether the officer really did think it was a taser (though the safety differs drastically, among other things), but I do know that these excuses are all sounding a bit familial...I thought he had a gun (it was probably a wallet, or cell phone, or vile...see previous victims). And, although there was video of a man having his life taken, the murderer was given 11 months (with time served) for this loss of life. [Just as an FYI, average murder sentences are about 30 years with 10 years served, but since the sentence was dropped to manslaughter, he'll never see that kinda time].

2) People are STILL calling for justice in this case. I really don't know if there is anything we can do and it scares me a LOT. I am happy for the momentum from Trayvon's case, but Oscar's slaying was over 4 years ago. What has happened for his justice? What will happen from these rallies? And what the hell is me publishing in a journal going to do for the next possible black male caught in the wrong situation? I don't mean to sound this way, but I'm def despondent. It all feels so overhwhelming and I'm not sure how to solve some of the race-based issues in the US. I know we gotta keep pushing, but dang, when are folks going to stop pushing back?

Pres Obama & the Elephant in the room

This afternoon President Obama addressed the Elephant in the room. Below are some comments that he made:

"But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling. You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African- American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African- American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that -- that doesn’t go away.

There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. And there are very few African-American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me, at least before I was a senator. There are very few African-Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

And you know, I don’t want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it’s inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African-American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws, everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now, this isn’t to say that the African-American community is naive about the fact that African-American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, that they are disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence. It’s not to make excuses for that fact, although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context. 

We understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country, and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history. And so the fact that sometimes that’s unacknowledged adds to the frustration. And the fact that a lot of African-American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuse is given, well, there are these statistics out there that show that African-American boys are more violent -- using that as an excuse to then see sons treated differently causes pain. I think the African-American community is also not naive in understanding that statistically somebody like Trayvon Martin was probably statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else.

So -- so folks understand the challenges that exist for African- American boys, but they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there’s no context for it or -- and that context is being denied. And -- and that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now, the question for me at least, and I think, for a lot of folks is, where do we take this? How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?

....I know that there’s been commentary about the fact that the stand your ground laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case.

On the other hand, if we’re sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there’s a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we’d like to see? And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these “stand your ground” laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened?

...We need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African-American boys? And this is something that Michelle and I talk a lot about. There are a lot of kids out there who need help who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?

And there are a lot of good programs that are being done across the country on this front. And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African-American men feel that they’re a full part of this society and that -- and that they’ve got pathways and avenues to succeed -- you know, I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obviously a tragic situation. And we’re going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that...."

Whether it is affecting our communities on a more personal level by how we interact with kids we come into contact with or whether its by using our skills and resources to inform research, programming, policy ---- we have been charged with this responsibility. We owe it to ourselves and to our [future] children. 

~BreAnna

White Privilege: America's Love Child

After watching the interview w/ this juror (which I only watched for 10 min b/c she irritated me into a slight ulcer), all I can say is "That White privilege is the best thing created since Top Ramen w/ Velveeta Cheese." You see... White privilege is the unearned advantages for just being White! Ain't that somethin'? That's almost as good as Groupon: the deals just keep comin' at you for no reason! One asks "What did I do to deserve this?" And the answer "Absolutely nothin'!" White privilege nurtures the following: "Race is not an issue", "I don't see color", "I have no doubt George feared for his life", "Rachel wasn't credible b/c of her inability to read cursive." White privilege is also a shield where folks don't have to warn their kids about police brutality or vigilantes w/ guns. You see... White privilege allows for people to not be conscious of their privilege & not see the correlation between privilege & racism. It also allows for folks to be aware & choose not to change! Why would they? It's like a 2 for 1 deal! It is my contention that white privilege was born out of the racist ideologies and practices that is not unfamiliar to this country. While it's against the law to discriminate against others based on race and to commit racial violent acts, white privilege is that "love child" that is protected to substantiate, support, & perpetuate these racist ideologies, without blatantly admitting to it's deleterious ways in which it destroys & depletes the efforts of equality. Welp... I think I'll go rent the movie "White Man's Burden" just so I can pretend, even if it's only for 90 minutes.

Crooked Smile

Unfortunately, Trayvon had to die as a martyr to prove to America that color still divides us. Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon, pursued Trayvon and ultimately took his life. Zimmerman should have remained in his car like he was ordered to by the police.

I was more disgusted with Zimmerman smiling after the verdict than the actual verdict. This individual got away with murdering a Black male which is nothing new in this country's history.

I hope this "post-racial" society wakes up to the gunfire and understand that race is STILL an issue in America and will continue be an issue until we get out of this denial.

Why America is afraid of her own son

I study parenting. Whenever I do a workshop, I ask a parent what exactly it means to be a parent. I have never, repeat, NEVER heard a mom say, "Oh, I want my son to be feared. I hope that I can never look him in the face again. I pray that he has is so uncared for and neglected by society that it will just make me beam."

And yet, that's exactly what we've done for our black sons.

America has been a baaaddddd mother. She stole our black son from another country (well, several other countries...all huddled together under their mother, Africa). She forced our black son to work when she didn't require that of another son of hers. The prized son. The son she reserves all of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations for. No - she thought that working hard would make her black son strong and an excellent source of income.

She didn't anticipate that he would become so strong that she would end up fearing her own child.

She became afraid of our black son the moment she realized he was more powerful than she could ever be.

But she had something going for her. You know when a mother says something, it becomes law. So mother America, in all of her infinite wisdom, created systematic laws that changed the way our son would be welcomed into social circles, if admitted at all, and allowed to interact with her other children. These differences caused such great strife in our black son's life that he had to develop ways to cope with the psychological stressors in front of him.

Ironically, some of her other sons found our black son's style to be so influential that they attempted to mock him at every turn. But there was one thing they could never replicate - his mind.

There was never a moment when our black son forgot he was black. While others were able to decry his color - suggesting he was equal to everyone else - he knew otherwise. Afterall, it was his own mother who told him that he was not good enough to be with other children. That in order for him to be worth anything, he'd have to fit into a mold that has perpetuated the existence of his brothers before him. That to be credible in his own neighborhood, he would have to look like others just to make it out alive.

Or so he thought.

Our black son was coming back from the store. It was raining. Our black son took shortcuts through the neighborhood. It was raining. Someone spotted our black son. The black son who has been labeled as a misfit, a thug, a thief, a rapist, a vile monster was walking through America's backyard. That's a no-no because he doesn't have rights to this land. He is only a visitor - and no - not on his own accord. We have to stop this foreigner from invading our land.

Our black son was followed, and stalked, and assaulted. Our black son fought back, because we have taught our sons to be resilient and to not be a punk. Our black son's life was weighed against the other son's...whose was more valuable? Who had the right to live? The answer was clear - it had to be the chosen one. The child afforded privilege and access to mother America. The child who was so afraid of our black son that taking his life was the only way to win the battle against this disparaged sibling.

Our black son was dead.

Our black son was hated by his mother, the mother who made him who he was. A mother who now has the chance to rectify her wrongs and say she was sorry. Not just for him. But for all the black sons she has left to fend for themselves in this barren foreign land full of contradictions and prohibitions.

Our black sons deserve more. They deserve a mother who wants nothing but the best for them. Father God has given all He can. I only wonder...can mother America ever stop fearing her sons?

I doubt I'll forget

Yesterday I went to honor Trayvon Martin. It was a rather emotional experience for me. Here are five reasons why:

5. I felt connected: Before the protest around the Nation's captial, we took the time to introduce ourselves. We all came from different walks of life - Yet we all shared similar hurt, anger, fears. We were united around a major issue and believed in the power of standing in solidarity against the injustice that is running rapid in this country. It was a beautiful feeling.

4. I felt gratitude. As we neared the White House, a gentleman joined in with our chants of Justice for Trayvon. Here was a man, who could if he so chose to do so, simply observe us ranting, perhaps take a picture, and walk away "standing tall" with all of his privilege. Instead he threw himself wholly into the group, leading chants and holding protesting signs. It reminded me of so many others that I know who stood their ground on this issue, even at the risk of discovering they have friends/family/coworkers who don't share the same values. I appreciate you all.

3. I was vulnerable. I was asked to interview about why I was there protesting and my views on the stand your ground law. In no way did I predict I'd be pulled aside as I prepared to attend this event. And as passionate as I am -- there was no way I was going to pass this opportunity up. I can only hope that what I had to say was coherent and I clearly conveyed my concerns. Being vulnerable in the way is scary but sometimes it is very necessary.

2. I felt pride! A friend and I stepped aside to quench our thirst. While chatting, a gentleman approached us. He informed us that he gathers historical artifacts and asked could he collect our protest signs for the National Museum of African American history and Culture that opens in 2015. We didnt believe him! Sure enough he is a Senior Curator for the Smithsonian. He explained the process and we gladly gave away our signs. They may never be immortalized and on display in this museum-- and I surely will visit in hopes to see that it was---But even if not, it was a reminder that we are a part of history. How cool is that!?

1. I was deeply saddened when I saw a mother and her son, maybe 2 years old join our rally circle. He was the cutest little boy chanting along with us. He looked back with so much joy and smiled at me. And I looked at him, hoping that he could hear my heart cry out "THIS IS FOR YOU". And I completely broke down. Here was a little Black boy who has no idea what the world has in store for him. He had no idea that we were protesting so that children like him can live their lives without fear. It was a powerful moment. He may never remember- and I surely hope that one day his mother tells him- but I doubt I'll ever forget.

~BreAnna

Happy Birthday Trayvon: The Link Between Discrimination and Child Psychosocial Outcomes

On February 5, 2013, I thought about Trayvon Martin. After all, it would have been his 18^th birthday, so it was only appropriate. But it was not just a day to consider his life; rather, his death and its impact on families.

As a researcher in a cultural and family studies laboratory, I think about the “Trayvons” of our society constantly. It was his untimely death that led my colleague, Saida Hussain, and me to consider the effects of discrimination on processes within low-income Black families. After developing a theory based on existing research, we found using a statistical model that discrimination reported by parents has a direct and indirect effect on children.

In cases like the shooting of Trayvon, children may perceive community-level experiences of discrimination directly, thus contributing to their internalizing and externalizing behaviors. In such a way, familial and community experiences of discrimination can be directly related to how children feel and act, and contribute to anxiety, low self-esteem, or aggression. This made me reflect: how many images did I see of youth wearing a ‘h oodie’ as a sign of solidarity – or more resoundingly, interchangeability – with Trayvon?

On the other hand, parents who perceive discriminatory actions are likely to feel more depressed than parents who report less discrimination. Depressed parents often have more difficulties parenting. And surely, increases in parenting problems lead to more challenging child behaviors and feelings. As a result, discrimination has an indirect effect on children’s outcomes as well.

Though it may seem like a gloomy pathway to psychological pain for children living in a society that has discrimination, our research also considers possible protective agents. We tested whether parents’ ethnic commitment – or having a sense of belongingness within their ethnic group – changed the relationship between experienced discrimination and depression.

As hypothesized, parents with higher levels of ethnic commitment had lower levels of depression. So, even though we found that discrimination can directly lead to negative child outcomes, we also found that when parental depression is minimized, parenting practices are more likely to be supportive, as are positive child outcomes. As a result of this research, we are next considering how to effectively bolster components of parenting interventions that focus on ethnic identity to improve overall child outcomes.

So, to Trayvon: we hope for a world free of discrimination, but until then, we offer research as a gift to other youth in your honor. Happy birthday, Trayvon.

Keywords: Discrimination, psychosocial well-being, ethnic identity, black families, parenting