Obama's declaration identifying with Trayvon falls short. Action is required. Ezili Dantò of HLLN reMEMBERS Trayvon Martin. Helpful links for undoing racism and four articles by whites to white liberals advocating for justice for Trayvon are highlighted.
For Trayvon
Flow beloved native son, in the timeless power of the blood of the slaughtered African
by Ezili Dantò
Source: Black In Public, Black Out Loud, and Black On Purpose
President Obama's declaration that "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," is a day late and dollar short. It's good that President Obama finally said something. However, it's hollow without the use of his power to affirmatively bring a civil rights case against George Zimmerman or to push legislation to repeal the Stand Your Ground laws. Obama has the power, has no re-election concerns to negotiate. His declaration of empathy without use of power is simply posturing - political theater and crocodile tears. (Obama: Trayvon Martin could have been me').
American courts did not give Trayvon Martin's family any justice.
Trayvon Martin, a Black male, barely 16-years old and unarmed, was talking on the phone, munching on skittles while walking home. George Zimmerman stalked him, presume he was a criminal come to rob the neighborhood and fatally shot the child less than one minute after the phone call disconnected. But it is the unarmed, innocent Black male who was naturally considered by the authorities, as inherently dangerous and the gross aggressor. The mostly all-white jury, duly presented with evidence of this racist narrative, suitably exonerated the killer.
What remains to be done for a Black woman to safely give birth to a male child in the Americas, who will live, unlike Trayvon Martin, with full human rights, is up to us. (Video: Melissa Harris-Perry On Zimmerman Verdict: 'I Live In A Country That Makes Me Wish My Sons Away' .)
Our prayers and condolences to the Trayvon family. Courage and strength to the most maligned Haitian in this tragedy, Trayvon Martin's friend and chief witness in the case, Rachel Jeantel.
Rachel Jeantel, like Trayvon, was put on trial instead of George Zimmerman.
The same Florida prosecutors who successfully prosecuted and convicted a Black Florida mom to 20-years in prison for simply firing warning shots could not find the language to defend a Black child like Trayvon. (See, Injustice in America: Fla. mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots and John Oliver video. See also, Conservative commentator, Larry Elder says "Every Neighborhood Needs A George Zimmerman? Racism is not a major problem in America anymore?" Larry Elder is a fool. You can't help free a slave who doesn't know he's a slave.)
The killer Zimmerman was naturally deemed by the mostly white jury, if Juror B37 is representative, to have a "good heart" despite stalking and murdering a Black child for no good reason. (Twitter Hero Who Single-Handedly Killed Zimmerman Juror B37′s Book Deal.)
It is, in part, the false benevolence, false self image, the underpinning mythology of white "culture," its godly superiority and baseless projection of white universal love for all the humankind its killing, their glamorized self- delusions masking the white homicidal, repressive force that must collectively and continually be boycotted, denounced, exposed. (See, Zimmerman Verdict: The Slave Patrol Is Alive and Well in Florida; Boycott Florida Tourism until the "Stand Your Ground" law is overturned. Send a message to Florida; Stevie Wonder Boycotting Florida Following Zimmerman Verdict - Video.)
Racism is institutional. Racism is taught and white privilege is a benefit to every white and a minus for every Black, regardless of how much money each has or doesn't have or the innate compassion or critical anti-racist sentiment of the white. (See below four recommended articles written for whites by whites on Trayvon).
I don't know how the Ancestor's survived slavery. I don't know how we keep standing against the overwhelming barbarity of white supremacy and imperialism worldwide. Don't know.
The acquittal of George Zimmerman adds to our endless pain...
Trayvon, if the Black mother's tears could wake up the dead, you and tens of thousands of young Black youths like you, would be alive.
I am desperately sorry that we've not worked smart enough, been intelligent enough, powerful enough to have made the consequences of you dying like this so terrifying, that no George Zimmerman ilk would ever think of pulling a gun on you, much less follow you around as if you were born a criminal.
Your brothers, friends, fathers - Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), dead prez and Mikeflo made a song for you. We, at the Ezili Network will continue to reMEMBER you.
Flow Trayvon, beloved native son, in the timeless power of the blood of the slaughtered African that calls to us. That deep love/pain that knows your name directs us, compels us to close down this white supremacist system that took your life, put your dead corpse on trial instead of putting your killer on trial and then killed you again by denying your spirit justice, your family some release. Rest in the power of that long line of pain and grief. Honed in the hell-fires on their "New World" evil, your spirit joins with wondrous spirits. Not Cain but Able rising. Able rising.
In every corner where American injustice towards an unarmed, helpless Black child takes a swipe, your name Trayvon will crash down for justice. Hold on people. Ginen poze.
Ezili Dantò of HLLN
July 2013
Source: Facebook
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” -Frederick Douglass (1817-1895)************************************************
Forwarded by Ezili's Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network **********************************************
Mos Def, Dead Prez and Mikeflo's Tribute to Trayvon
It's time for action. It's time to close down the tyrannical system.
For Black human rights
I am prepared to die by Nelson MandelaHere are a few supportive articles that validates our lost, our pain, our sight, our humanity. In this post for mourning Trayvon, I put first the voices of Black men such as Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Dick Gregory and Glen Ford at the Black Agenda Report for his ceaseless serums that bolster our value as a people and tells of our efforts for justice and peace.
Mos Def's latest video tribute for Trayvon gives voice to what Black man who confront the system daily are feeling and thinking. Mos Def's tribute to Trayvon is as important as the video he recently released re-enacting US forced feeding terror tactics at Guantanamo Bay .
In his latest piece, the fearless investigative journalist and human rights activist, Glen Ford, executive editor at The Black Agenda Report, explains white madness, the death of Trayvon Martin and why there probably won't be a Department of Justice civil rights initiative.
John Oliver segmenthighlights the blatant racial double standard in Florida’s self-defense laws.
Four Trayvon articles written by whites to the white liberals
Four recommended articles for white activists advocating for justice for Trayvon Martin, written by whites to white liberals.
Source: Obnoxious Liberals, painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Article 1To White Folks: The Collective Lament of Trayvon Martin is Not Your Anti- Racist Political Platform By Suzahn Ebrahimian
"Where are the white feminists’ outrage for Rachel Jeantel?... "
"Let me be clear – there is no way to distance yourself from the white supremacist system if you are white. The only way to distance oneself from a white supremacist system is to destroy it. By destroy I do not simply mean internally “checking your privilege,” which I’m not sure is an action at all but more of a stopping of action. I mean literally destroy. Refuse to acknowledge this legal system as legitimate. Take down every prison, every courtroom, take the guns and the authority of the state away from every police officer. Disband our colonialist military."
" I have benefited from my pale complexion for my entire life. If no one knows my name, I am any other white person; and I get many of the privileges that come with that territory. No amount of anti-racist sentiment or *perceived* anti-racist actions on my part will EVER change that, until the last US courtroom has closed its doors for good. " --- Suzahn Ebrahimian, To White Folks: The Collective Lament of Trayvon Martin is Not Your Anti-Racist
*************
Article 2: A Video
One Perspective On George Zimmerman for white activist demanding justice for Travyon Martin
"Recognize you represent a homicidal, repressive force. Not the victims of it"- How many times have Haitians said this to the white saviors industrial complex headed by the Paul Farmer/UN/NGO ilks in Haiti... For how long have we exposed their sneaky complicity with the system that vies for the soul of Black folks... Oh no, they will claim to know more than you, feel your pain more deeply than you do. In fact, they're YOU because they lived behind NGO walls and color coded distribution lines in Haiti! To paraphrase Richard: 'Do you dream at night, Black people. Be careful. Blan kolon will even claim your midnight dreams as his!' - Ezili Danto of HLLN (See video, I am Not Trayvon Martin, I am not Troy Davis)
Article 3:
We Are Not Trayvon Martin
"I am not, and will never be, Trayvon Martin. Nor will I be Rachel Jeantel. Or Any Other Black Person in America. I will never, ever understand. But I will forever grieve how people that look like me treat people that look like them...."
*************
Article 4:
We’re all racist here. Especially the white folk. Particularly the liberals
**********************************************
Other Helpful Information
Conservative commentator, Larry Elder is a fool. You can't help free a slave
who doesn't know he's a slave.
Every Neighborhood Needs A George Zimmerman?
***********************
If there was no recording of this murder, the adult white grandpa killer could have successfully claimed the 13-year old Black child attacked him. And a juror like Juror B37 would see that the killer's “heart was in the right place”...and set him free like Zimmerman. ---John Henry Spooner Shooting VIDEO: Evidence Shows Darius Simmons Killed (GRAPHIC)
*************
Lester Chambers Attacked for Trayvon Martin Dedication - Exclusive Footage
Legendary Soul Singer Violently Attacked For Song Dedication To Trayvon Martin
Dick Gregory on the killing of Trayvon Martin
***************
We Are Not Trayvon Martin
http://wearenottrayvonmartin.tumblr.com/
************
White Privilege: Racism, White Denial & The Cost of Inequality
http://bit.ly/152UyjP
**********
Video: How To Tell People They Sound Racist
***************
"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting our time. But if you have
come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work
together.” --Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s
****************
NYT: The Whole System Failed
***************
Disturbing chart shows rise in “justified killings” of blacks in U.S
*****************
UNDOING RACISM
http://www.antiracistalliance.com/whiteness.html
************************************
Also from Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def):
US terror tactics at Guantanamo Bay: Force feeding detainees under standard Guantánamo Bay procedure