Trayvon Martin: The Hoodie Worn 'Round The World

I like hoodies. I like how the hood keeps my comfortable and warm when I need it to. It's a functional and versatile part of my wardrobe.

Earlier this week, on March 21st, 2012, hundreds of people flooded Union Square, Manhattan in hoodies; not because it was cold, but to symbolize the innocent death of Trayvon Martin. The story of the young boy who was shot in "self defense" in Florida by armed neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, has caused national outrage and people have taken the streets to demand Zimmerman's arrest.

First hearing about the story, I thought to myself, "Here we go again with another innocent Black youth killed by a clearly racist white man." The shooting of Martin is so common, sadly I've become desensitized about it; not because I don't care, but because it's so rampant in our society. Wearing a hoodie now represents us being Trayvon, following the "I Am (insert innocently killed African American male here)" template of injustice. Similar to Troy Davis and Sean Bell, which I'm sure some people may have forgotten about already or may be bringing back up, Trayvon Martin represents the blatant racism that is still present in our society. I wonder if Trayvon Martin was a white boy that had been shot, would we be treating the case in the same fashion of protest and rallying? It's a good question to pose, considering Martin could have been anyone.

Though I didn't know about the rally in Union Square, from the video and stories I've been reading about, Skittles definitely seem to be winning in the sense of product placement. It's clear that Martin was carrying some Skittles and a drink on him, but I feel the symbolism of the hoodie was enough to get the point across. He wasn't shot because of the candy in his pocket; he was shot because he appeared threatening to an insecure White male who doesn't know better to differentiate a normal youth from someone who could have possibly posed a hazard to his neighborhood. Was Zimmerman wrong for trying to defend his neighborhood? No. Was he wrong to profile a young Black man as automatically threatening and shoot him? Yes. Many people get shocked when these incidents happen because they expect people in our society to know better; to be better. People like Zimmerman represent the percentage of dormant racist bigots who don't verbally express their racial anxieties, but act out upon it through violence and behaviors. It's something that we can't stop, which is why I feel people march in protest.

Unfortunately, Trayvon Martin has been added to the long list of the victims of injustice in this country. Of course I am upset about it. I'm angry that people like Zimmerman aren't automatically arrested and trailed for their crimes. I'm upset that it takes people to march in the streets and get angry for stories like this to get attention. I'm also upset that the stories similar to Martin are happening everyday and are never bought to light. But what can I do? Stop wearing my favorite piece of clothing just to feel safe?

-Video Vix[o]n