Hoodie or no Hoodie?

I first learned about the Trayvon Martin murder not on NBC news, or CNN, or any major news channel. I first heard about his death via facebook.  Some of my friends were posting about it, and that number grew exponentially day by day.  But I noticed something odd:   only my black friends were posting about his death. None of my Asian, or white, or other friends mentioned it. I wondered why.

As the weeks progressed, more details about the incident emerged…

The 911 called showed George Zimmerman telling the operator that Trayvon was black. Why did it matter? Was he racial profiling?

Perhaps… but NBC later announced that one of its producers had edited the 911 tape so that it seemed that Zimmerman offered Trayvon’s race voluntarily, when in fact he had been asked by the operator.

During the last two months, before any charges were filed, a trial emerged in the court of public opinion.   Zimmerman’s relatives issued statements, civil rights groups called press conferences and organized rallies.  Facebook users posted pics of themselves in hoodies, and sermons about the need for justice were delivered in black churches throughout the country. 

Through it all, I haven’t known what to do.  Should I post a picture of myself in a hoodie to show my stance against injustice, like many of my friends?  Was choosing not to turning a blind eye to injustice?   

I decided that I didn’t know enough to snap a pic of myself donned in a hoodie.  Instead, I decided to read about the killing, and to pray—for the Martin family, and for the hearts of those disillusioned by justice that is often elusive to those in black bodies.

I don’t know what happened the day that Trayvon Martin was killed, but I do know there is great room for suspicion and alarm when an unarmed teenage boy is shot dead.