Why I Will Not Wear a Hoodie
I thought there was momentum.
I thought people were angry enough to do something.
I thought the world would finally see the younger generation in action.
I thought wrong.
Instead of meaningful, power-shifting action, we got a bunch of silly instructions on how to “honor” Trayvon’s life, or express discontentment for Zimmerman freedom.
- Use a black magic marker to make a cardboard sign that says, “I am Trayvon Martin.”
Take a picture of yourself holding the sign and wearing a hoodie. Be sure you have a sad or defeated expression in the picture. Post it on your Facebook wall. Hashtag “Trayvon Martin.”
- Buy a pack of skittles.
- Eat them and save the wrapper.
- Send the wrapper and a strongly worded letter to the police station in Florida that didn’t arrest Zimmerman.
I will not buy skittles and send a letter because I will not make Skittles® rich trying to make a statement that no one will hear.
I will not wear a hoodie because Trayvon was not killed because he was wearing a hoodie. Trayvon was killed because he was black!
I will not wear a hoodie because wearing a hoodie will not put an end to ideas and systems fueled by white supremacy that gave birth to the racism that killed Trayvon and a countless number of others!
I will not wear a hoodie because it shouldn’t take a million people wearing hoodies for Black people to get justice!
I am becoming annoyed.
What are we doing? What are we accomplishing?
I wonder if people really think that displaying unity by wearing a hoodie will get to the root cause of Trayvon’s death.
I wonder if people really think that Obama’s acknowledgment that his son would look like Trayvon will not ensure that such a flagrant disregard of justice will not happen again.
Why is it that our people are limited to such ineffective means of protesting? Whatever happened to the notion of never forgive, never forget, never again? Why not create a strategy that will empower those in society who are unprotected by the same laws that protect racist murderers?
Are we afraid of revolution? Are we afraid of our own power? Are we afraid of success?
I think so. But if not, let’s get on with it!
A Time To Speak 
And what wouold you do besides rant and rave on a blog???
You haven’t said one relevant thing in this blog beside don’t buy skittles or wear a hoodie.
March 23, 2012 at 7:28 pm
But it’s not just a “hoodie” thing – people are actually protesting all over the country; two big ones just this week!????
March 23, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Agree with Mz C. It probably is not the best approach but, it’s better than blogging. It has raise consciousness and it beats sitting around blogging about a revolution.
March 23, 2012 at 9:45 pm
The skittle protests make no sense to. I don’t think it holds much power to really get the message across. But the hoodie protest is in direct correlation with this racial tension we’re feeling. Trayvon was stereotyped because he was black boy walking around alone at night and was also wearing a hoodie which emphasizes the stereotype. My younger brother is an educated young black man who finds comfort in his black hoodie all the time. He’s smart, a Christian and would never hurt anyone and he can’t wear a hoodie for fear of his life? Thats what the hoodie protest is about.
March 24, 2012 at 2:16 am
We are all struggling to find a way to get justice and HONOR this young man and all our young men around the nation…let’s not argue about it…but come together…Together Everyone Achieves More!
March 24, 2012 at 3:28 am
As tragic as it is that a 28-year old white man shot a 17-year old black youth, I think there is a deeper issue we need to consider with this story. For every 1 black youth killed in a hate crime-there are hundreds of black boys killing each other in our communities. Until “we’ [black folk] stop sending the message that black life (especially black boys) has no value, or until black boys realize that everytime they kill one of their own for no reason at all, they send a message that it’s ok to kill a black boy because their life is meaningless–afterall it’s just another nigger, the senseless killing will continue. What I want to see is this type of outrage in our community when a black boy kills another black boy, or an innocent child is killed in another senseless drive-by. Where is the outrage, the marches, the high profile celebraties when a black boy kills another black boy, when an innocent 6-year old is gunned down on her front porch…we’ve got a lot of work to do people…I’m just sayin.
March 24, 2012 at 4:30 am
Since you are smarter than everyone else and don’t agree with the current tactic’s,come up with a Mission Statement and “GET TO IT”. SMH
March 24, 2012 at 3:23 pm
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