Protests for Trayvon Martin materialized at fifteen Miami-area high schools yesterday. Students walked out of class to demonstrate, and at Cutler Ridge High School above, to make a symbol for all to see. (Students at Trayvon's school stayed put, at his mother's behest.) The students in Miami staged the latest in a series of protests of not just the killing of the unarmed teenager on February 26, but the fact that his killer, George Zimmerman, remains free.
Trayvon's name is not being forgotten, but for a most unfortunate reason. Since his death, Trayvon's story has broken into the national consciousness in a similar way to many black men and women before him -- Michael Griffith, Eleanor Bumpurs, Yusuf Hawkins, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant III, and just weeks earlier, Ramarley Graham. We may be in the post-Civil Rights era, we may even have a black president, the problem may take different forms than it did when Emmett Till was murdered -- but the problem is still here.
This morning, as Melissa noted last night, we'll be discussing the problems that the Trayvon Martin case is forcing the nation to confront, no matter who'd like to deny that they exist. Joining us will be Nicole Bell, who lost her fiancé, 23-year-old Sean Bell, to a hail of unprovoked police gunfire on their wedding day in 2006. NBC News correspondent Ron Allen, Mother Jones reporter Adam Serwer, and Jonathan Metzl, author of "The Protest Psychosis," will also enter the conversation.
Melissa will also host a panel of young men who can speak to what it's like to grow up black in America right now. Teenagers Diallo McClammy, C.J. Morrison, and George Nunez will also be joined from Phoenix by Jawanza Kunjufu, urban school consultant and author of "There is Nothing Wrong With Black Students."
In today's show, we'll also delve into the Catholic vote in Louisiana, explore the neuroscience of politics, introduce you to a remarkable set of "Foot Soldiers," and determine the difficulty of telling Newt Gingrich and Kanye West apart with the following guests:
- Buddy Roemer, former Republican governor of Louisiana, and current Americans Elect and Reform Party candidate for president.
- Matthew Wilson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University.
- Jennifer Richeson, psychology professor at Northwestern University.
Leave a Comment:
As posted 3-22-12 on THE BEST DAMN POLITICAL STRATEGIST blog:
“I suspect Trayvon Martin was killed because he resembled a young Barack Obama. What with all the hate speech, racism and Obama derangement syndrome on AM Radio Free Conservative Wacko. It’s seditious propaganda… That’s illegal in the USA, right?
Every time I hear another story of racism, hate crime, police incompetence or police abuse of power/excessive force. I think back to 1999 to 2003 when most in the national media ignored a huge accountability protest movement.
Let me tell you all something about questionable shootings… I saw the IMPACT firsthand in Southern California for victims 19 year old Tyisha Miller, 18 year old Irving Landrum Jr., 18 year old Ginenne Stover, 20 year old Dante Meniefield (shot for smoking a joint), Mario Paz, Margaret Lavern Mitchell, Anthony Lee, etc… (see “Stolen Lives Project” for full national accounting)
All our Progressive spokespersons are so shocked this could happen in the USA while ignoring those of us who’ve been fighting against racism, abuse of power and accountability issues for decades. Liberals hang on to the microphone like it was a ****’n sex toy… It seems all the lessons the Movement taught have been lost by irresponsible government and journalism that failed to keep the public informed.
Honestly I’ll never understand WHY President Bill Clinton signed the “Telecom Bill” which killed the “Fairness Doctrine” and gave away the public broadcast airwaves to a very few conservative wacko silver spoon trust fund babies and Rupert Murdoch, who is nothing more than a foreign agent working to help the Communist Chinese “divide and conquer” the good ole USA! (Ask that @** Newt Gingrich about that one…)
HEY, I feel threatened by the Republican Corporate Ho Party, FOX News and the AM radio Limbaughs… can I move to Florida and shoot them? (lol, ohh that was wrong, sorry)”
I am somebody who fights against totalitarian tyranny spoact.blogspot.com
I am watching MHP on tv right now.
Melissa just ran the numbers ( white persons executed for killing blacks, blacks executed for killing whites etc.)-none of which I dispute - but left one glaring number out.
If homicide is the #1 cause of death for black males between the ages of 18-34, why didn't MHP mention what group of people is far and away responsible for THESE deaths.
What happened to Trayvon Martin was not right and I believe that justice will ultimately be done. That said, if you are going to argue for equal treatment under the law for ALL, which you should be, you're arguments would go alot further if when breaking down the numbers you included ALL of them.
None of this pimping of the Trayvon Marting killing whether it be by MHP, Rev. Sharpton, Sean Hannity (I was torn between laughing and puking on that one), unless the real problem is adressed- "Why are young black men dying at such a high rate, no matter who is responsible for each individual killing?"
I respect MHP but I have to agree with cmdr358. In St. Louis 2 summers ago there was a race to top 100 homicides during the summer. In EVERY case the homicides were black on black violence. Another scary thing is the recent New Black Panther Party video putting a bounty on George Zimmerman's head and calling out the President. #/video/crime/2012/03/24/sot-wesh-panther-presser-muhammad.wesh
Where is the outcry against fueling the hate on that end? I only mention this because many MSNBC commentators regularly call out conservatives to condemn dumb stuff other conservatives say.
I watch MHP because she is intelligent, same with Rachel Maddow; but walk the walk, ladies. Hold everyone to account for their words or at least add it to the discussion.
Your Hoodie segment was spot on!
Saggy pants? Hoodies? Don't forget "dipping".
MHP- if you would take a break from mocking societie's interpretation of this "dress code", ask yourself a question.
If individuals continue to dress in a manner that perpetuates a gansta/thug image why are they and others, like yourself, surprised when people view them suspiciously?
So a hoodie is a lethal weapon which justifies deadly retalitory self defense?
I have enjoyed watching Melissa Harris-Perry's commentaries and eponymous new show on MSNBC. I just watched a bit of this morning's show which was wholly on the topic of the murder of the boy in Florida (at least, until I had to go to the post office). Trayvon Martin was killed by this obsessed, wanna be cop with what appears to be motivation based on the victim's race. The vast majority of sane people think it is a horrible situation which is indefensible and worthy of the arrest and conviction of the shooter. However, is it really necessary to trot out the history of lynchings and the inaction of the government to enact laws against lynchings, the disgusting story of the young Emmitt Till and the general evil-ness of white people. I don't know a single white person who doesn't abhor the history of slavery, lynching and the mayhem that was visited upon blacks by the likes of the Klan. Really, not one. Telling, however, was the mention made of the single most prevalent cause of death for black males 18-34 is homicide. This statistic was left nakedly without the designation of who is killing these black males. Aren't the vast majority of the homicides done by blacks? Why wasn't the op-ed by former NYC deputy police commissioner, John F. Timoney, lambasting the "stand your ground" FL law not cited, yet the article about the cops who killed Sean Bell was? I, for one, hope that the murder of this kid will cause more than a rating spike for MSNBC. It is my hope that an honest, open and frank look at interracial crime will be had. It is time that this delicate issue that the various media seem loathe to engage in be had. Now that the focus has been brought on this interracial crime, it seems like a most propitious moment to put all the issues pertaining to interracial crime on the table.
I just want to say you should keep showing the grafts that you showed earlier so we the white race can see the injustice thats been going on for ever in this country.I also was impressed by the comparsion of the hoodies.The one worn by the kkk and the one worn by all of us at one time or another.We all are suppose to be striving for a more perfect union for all our citizens but i dont hear this talk from our elected officials and i can't beleave that it was 2005 before we had laws that made it a crime to hang someone
That Kunjufu guy said "plead the blood of Jesus", Seriously? you are on national Tv and you are asked to give practical advice to a diverse group of people and you talk about the blood of Jesus? smh
Watching the show and following up on this case it seems that people are forgetting that Trayvon was the one who might have tried to "stand his ground" against an attacker. Personally if I were Trayvon I would have done things the same way. Tried to get away from a man who was pursuing me in a truck and then on foot. When cornered or confronted by that man I would have been terrified, especially when the man has a gun. In a fight or die situation I would have tried to talk first then if that wasn't working and he aggressed try and fight him off. Im not saying that Trayvon started a fight, just stating that in my state of mind by trying to mentally piece events together I would have physically fought back as a last option.
Zimmerman could have acted like a NWatchman by asking Trayvon if everything was alright to ease his mind. There is nothing that says talking to a person is against the law. Zimmerman made the decision that Trayvon was a criminal and a mental choice that he was the authority in this situation, not the police took matters into his own hands and killed a boy.
I feel a need to point something out here, and please forgive my arrogance in assuming you might need (or even want) to know this.
I do a lot of work with sound, myself. I have analyzed the raw audio on my own, and tried to emulate the sounds using the alleged phrase and a number of other words as well. I must admit the combination of plosive sound and whispered vowel followed by a sibilant ending can easily create a false read.
Have you ever watched one of those ghost hunter style shows, where they make use of what they call "EVP" or Electronic Voice Phenomena"? That method can make a panoply of other noises sound like voices, especially if the listener is first given a phrase to use as a model when listening. In other words, once we are told what to listen for, it's far more likely that we will hear that, regardless of what the original sound was. If I were to tell you the sound you were hearing was a whispered voice, and then play the sound of a shoe scuffling against concrete, you are very likely to hear words rather than the sound of rubber scraping rough concrete.
The phrase you hear on that recording most certainly does sound like the offensive racist slur, if that is what you are listening for. I could not tell you if it sounds like that if you are not listening for it, since I had heard what others said it was before I listened to it myself. I can say with some authority, having conducted my own tests, that it is equally possible that the final word in the phrase was "punks."
What I am saying is that it seems unlikely that any case will be made in court that this was a racially motivated shooting. There is just too much ambiguity in that one shred of evidence. You would need to pile up a great deal more to make such a case.
It does seem obvious that race is a factor in the way the case was handled, however, and I really hope that this can become the focus of investigation. From a purely practical standpoint, it will be a more powerful lesson in human rights to expose and address a bias in the system than it would be to remove a single racist from the public playing field.