Trayvon Martin and Race

Citizen -- A Review & Analysis

It is without question that race relations and the treatment of minorities, black people in particular, has progressed and advanced significantly over the existence of the United States. Slavery was abolished nearly a century into the existence of the United States in 1865 and the Jim Crow era came to a halt in light of events like Brown v. Board of Education in the 1950's and the Civil Rights laws being passed in the 1960's. However, even though many to most of the abhorrent and soulless behaviors that typified the years before those events came to pass are now outlawed, what has instead emerged is a rather underground yet not impossible to notice pattern of black people being treated in a way that is clearly different, more negative and more violent than is the case with whites or even other classes of minorities. While some may disagree or downplay what is going on in today's society, Claudia Rankine, by her own words and as is obvious from her poem Citizen, is trying to shine a light on this remaining stain within the United States and its cultural and societal fabric in an era of Trayvon Martin and the Jena Six.

Analysis

Apologists for what supposedly happened during the confrontation between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin just prior to Martin being gunned down in the street will point out that forensics point to the fact that Martin was bent over at the waist punching Zimmerman. Beyond that, Zimmerman was indeed injured and there is indeed the idea that perhaps Zimmerman did indeed have reason to be threatened. However, Zimmerman's actions and behaviors since his acquittal on charges of manslaughter and murder as well as the lack of hard proof as to who instigated the confrontation, why Zimmerman would feel compelled to approach Martin in the first place and what happened just before the gun came out all lend credence to the idea that Zimmerman, acquitted or not, surely could have (and should have) handled things differently (e.g. stay at a distance and call the police if he felt Martin was acting suspiciously) and that Martin's race was probably a factor when it came to the same (Walden). Since that fateful event (and those before it including the Jena Six) and the trial that followed, there has been a litany of other events that have shone a light on the police's treatment of suspects and people on the street that happen to be black. There is indeed a perception that the police, and society as a whole, treat black people in a different light and from a different perspective due to race and race alone, including when nothing else is known by the other parties about the black person or people involved. A real-world expression and example of this is the idea of the old white woman walking down the street and that woman clutching her purse tighter if a black man happens to walk by. Sure, threats to the wrong kind of stare can set off alarms with some people and this is true irrespective of race. However, Rankine and others assert, and rightly so, that some people are tuned and configured to treat and perceive black people in a way that is unjust, unfair and bigoted due to no other reason than the race of the person involved. To use an example from Rankine's text, one could point to the talk about the real estate agent expressing over and over again to a black couple looking at a house that she is completely "comfortable" around them despite the fact that no reason to NOT be comfortable is obvious or apparent (Rankine).

Something else that Rankin mentions in the text is what is known as "John Henryism". This is the idea that people are subjected to and suffer from stress due to racism. In a world where black people are treated as less than human, criminals or otherwise deficient as compared to others even when no tangible evidence about character and such informs such a perspective, it is entirely possible and practical to see this. One could compare this to the plight of people that have gender dysphoria. Indeed, so much of the mental torture and problems that such people endure is caused in large part (if not entirely) based on the bigoted treatment that they are subjected to by others (Love). As Rankine makes clear, black people are no different. Just due to their race, black people are in an entirely different paradigm and they know it. It is true that not all non-black people think and behave in such a way. However, it makes complete sense that a police officer or glance from a stranger will lead to apprehension, fear or even anger. The poem makes the statement, as part of the Henryism tangent, that there is a hope of "bucking the trend". As with many other forms of mental illness and/or suffering, that is easy to say but very hard to pull off (Rankine).

As for whether Rankine accomplishes the desired effect, that is going to be a mixed bag. Indeed, the Amazon page for the book shows a glowing review from those that took the time to offer their opinion. The book is easily past the four-star score on a five-star rating scale (Amazon). However, there are surely people out there that will read the book itself or read about it that will scoff or be skeptical about the contents. This could be because they are insulated in a nice neighborhood or near the bosom of affluence, their own or others. It could also be that some people are racist or otherwise bigoted and feel that the negative stereotypes about black people are true and legit. Even with the best efforts of Rankine and those that are like-minded and as talented, there is much to be said for the idea that it will just take generation turnover and consistent teaching to weed out the waste from society. There are people that are willing and able to read what Rankine says and have a teachable moment or epiphany as a result. However, people are often set in their ways and/or they could have aspects to their life that keep them in those ruts. Whether it be a black ex-partner that did them wrong, the way a child is taught and instilled values (good or bad) as they are raised or other such things, breaking cultural and social trends over time is extremely hard to do and it really does take flooding the zone and condemning those that do not conform. Beyond that, some advocates and such over-reach and try to guilt-trip those that are really guilty of nothing. Sure, Rankine's words are mean to educate and inform and she does a wonderful job of that. However, brow-beating people that are clearly not bigots is not the way to go. Racism, in all its forms, has to be revealed and called what it is . . . despite its genesis or who is doing it. There is absolutely some mind-numbing bigotry (or at least ignorance) out there. However, being reflexive and overreactive is not helpful. Indeed, the book uses the example of a holder of multiple degrees thinking . . . and saying out loud, to boot . . . that she didn't think black people could get cancer (Rankine).