I can't help but hurt for similar reasons. My goal was to move to Baltimore city, where I grew up, and live a life a metropolitan bliss. My lover, however, has vowed never to do this, as he has buried two family members due to violence in the last five years. I can't help but want to hold my brothers, my innocent, sweet brothers, who could have easily been Trayvon. My brothers are 16 and 22, and they throw bugs outside instead of stepping on them in the house. We are all often teased because we "sound too white" or "have too many white friends". We are labeled "punks" because none of us has been in a fight.
The only other time that I have been so enraged, so hurt, so saddened, is when we received a call that my brother's plane might be under attack in London. We paced back in forth all day, knowing that these people had to go across the ocean. And when they arrived at the airport, surrounded by tv crews and families that thought they lost their children, all we could do is weep. Nobody on the plane was told why they had such a long delay, until they were in the arms of loved ones. This very day marked the point at which you couldn't bring liquids over 3 oz. onto planes.
Prejudice and racism is real, very real. It doesn't make me laugh (almost ever), it makes me mad. Stereotyping is equally as strong. Remember the trench coat mafia? Yeah, they had us on alert for awhile. 9/11 still makes it hard for Middle Eastern people, and countless others in the world. The neighborhood watchman could have called 911, or he could have stared Trayvon down, but instead, he made a lethal judgement call. We have to do better, world.
Trayvon and brown people of the world, you are Black Gold. I can't say it enough. No matter how suspicious you look, how ugly you feel, how self righteous you are. No matter how light or dark you are, you are Black Gold. I'm so proud to be a Black woman--you have no idea.