In her opinion article discussing the inequality of black and white children in the United States, Stacey Patton discusses how Zimmerman’s trial was not just about whether he was guilty or innocent – but about how black children are still viewed as different than white children to this day. Patton starts her comparison by mentioning how reactions to the Zimmerman prosecution (or lack thereof), were similar to those of 19th century lynchings. That’s a powerful comparison because it shows just how serious the situation is. There has always been a fixation on the size of the child in question, so Zimmerman’s defense referring to Martin as “a young man”, where his prosecutors kept referring to him as a “boy”, is nothing new. She then goes on to mention the Civil War era, and how amendments had to be created to ensure the safety of newly freed black children, and how by the time the Jim Crow Era came around, whites had to create a whole new way to oppress black people. The black life cycle is “inverted to that of the white life cycle, Patton says and protestors aren’t protesting the unjust rulings of these cases, but they’re protesting so that white children can have the same life as white children, so that black children can be children too.
Darren Wilson Grand Jury testimony
The piece is an obvious transcript that contains questions on the Grand Jury dissecting Darren Wilson regarding the Michael Brown incident. Wilson initially describes the night as being a typical night on the force, this really puts into perspective the situation in its entirety. Initially, Wilson expresses his shock and the hostility of Brown and his inability to honor a simple request. As the questions dig deeper into Darren Wilson’s psyche, he likens Michael Brown’s face to that of a demon, which in the context is not racially suggestive as people of all colors have expressions. However, what is striking is that Darren Wilson handled the situation quite poorly and effectively allowed the situation to get out of hand. This is shown as the Questions continue to pile on and are legitimately condescending in structure. One example of this is when Wilson attempts to show the “damage” that was done to his face. The questions are pressed even further and a clear attempt is made to bait Wilson into backpedaling. However, the skeptics question in their stance whether or not deadly force was necessary. There is no question that Wilson has become hated after the incident, but the Grand Jury interviews shows that despite that, he stand firm on his actions.
Does black and white equal black AND white?
Article title: In America, black children don’t get to be children
Stacy Patton, the writer of this opinion piece news article, is giving very real commentary on the deep seated racial issues in America today and how they are a product of the decades before . Even as many claim that we live in a post-racial America, racism is still rampant in our society, whether it be obvious racism or subtle racism.
Patton starts off by using the infamous stories of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin and Emmet Till, as examples of children being “aged” by their killers and how old they are perceived by others is used as the justification for their deaths. Patton also describes the way that black children are devalued even while they are still in the womb. She mentions “Psychologists tested and compared the behaviors of white and black infants and concluded that black babies were born innately inferior and animalistic”. Scientist try to use racism disguised as science as an excuse for their “racial classification”.
Patton points out that black kids are “stripped of their childhood” by explaining that they are “cast as adults” while ironically, adults are stuck in childhood in that they are viewed as lazy, criminal, unfriendly and more negative aspects.
This is the very core of the monstrosity we will talk about. In America, time and time again, Black youth are looked at as monsters. They are crucified for any of their actions and forced to have adult consequences to kid actions. Teens of other races often get to go through that well known teen angst period when they are reckless and careless. Those teens get through it untouched most of the time. Take a Black teen and put them in those same experiences. The outcome will be dramatically different. Whenever something happens to a black youth, the routine is always the same. The media looks and searches within every crevice of internet and history to find a reason to say that that child deserved it. Even twelve year old Tamir Rice was blamed for his own death. At the age where every other child has the freedom to be naive, black kids are basically told “you should know better”. The sad truth for black kids in America today is that we are all one misunderstanding away from being a rest in peace hashtag on the internet.
Summary Post: Black Children
In Stacey Patton’s opinion article “In America, black children don’t get to be children” in The Washington Post, Patton argues that throughout history and still being practiced today, there is no difference between black childhood and black adulthood. Patton begins by giving current cases like the killings of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, and even brings it back in time to 1955 with the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year old black boy who was killed by a group of white men because he “looked like a man.” What these and many more cases have in common is that these young people were not treated as such. Patton says the reasoning of the police officers is similar. It is because “this was not a child. He was a threat… This child, stripped of childhood, is framed as a menace that overrides probable cause.” Patton mentions the words used to describe these teenagers at the time of their murders: “Hulk Hogan,” “demon,” “young man,” “large hands”… Never highlighting the fact that these victims were in fact children. Patton compares these cases to the lynching cases from 1880-1950, where these victims were also around the same ages: 8-19 years old. Patton acknowledges that these ideals were not something new. In the turn of the century pediatric literature, doctors, psychologists, and anthropologists set out to prove and concluded that black babies were different – inferior and even animalistic – as opposed to white babies. Monsters at birth, black children are deemed non-human from the beginning, never giving them a chance to live the childhood anyone their age but of a different shade of skin would have the opportunity to.
Summary Post: Darren Wilson
In this transcript of Darren Wilson’s grand jury testimony, Darren Wilson recalls the events leading up to the shooting of Michael Brown. It begins with Ms. Alizadeh calling Darren Wilson, the final witness, to the stand. Darren Wilson enters and is sworn in before the examination by Ms. Whirley begins. Whirley starts by asking Wilson his name, his position as a police officer with the Ferguson Police Department, and questions about his physique. Whirley then proceeds to inquire about Wilson’s shift on August 9, 2014 – where Wilson was working a day 6:30AM-6:30PM shift. The transcript shows the exchange of questions by Whirley and Wilson about his side of the story about he remembers happening on that day. The transcript also presents that photos were shown as proof of the physical altercation between Wilson and a man who he later found out was Michael Brown. Because it is a transcript of the exact words that Wilson used and his recollection of what occurred on August 9, the readers are able to feel how intimidated and scared Wilson says he felt during the incident. On page 212, lines 19-21, Wilson states he felt so overpowered and small compared to Brown that he was like a “five-year old holding onto Hulk Hogan.” But one particular quote from Wilson on page 225, line 3 stuck out the most – Wilson says the only way he could describe the face that Brown made was “like a demon” because “that’s how angry he looked.” The manner in which Wilson depicted Brown was not of a human nature and instead treated him as a monster. Michael Brown, an 18-year old unarmed black man, at the time of the shooting was so intimidating to Darren Wilson that he was shot multiple times because Wilson felt that the threat would not be stopped until Brown was stopped. This happened when Brown finally fell on his face and his feet were at rest.
Group C Summary Post.
This is officer Darren Wilson’s entire script/transcript of the grand jury testimony posted on The Washington Post website. Darren Wilson basically explained where and what he did for another case before he heard the Michael Brown call on his radio. The call was not exactly towards Darren Wilson, but the call described what the suspect looked like and that is how Darren Wilson knew that Michael Brown was that suspect when they encountered each other. Darren Wilson then went into detail on how Michael Brown assaulted him in his car. Darren Wilson was scared to the point where he thought Michael Brown was going to kill him with his own gun, but in the end, Michael Brown ended up being shot dead.
How Darren Wilson described Michael Brown’s expression when Wilson shot the car door glass was really unsettling. His exact words were, “he looked up at me and had the most aggressive face. The only way I could describe it, it looked like a demon, that’s how angry he looked”(pg 124-125). The fact that he compared a young black man’s expression to a demon really showed the type of person Darren Wilson is. Also, it didn’t bother anyone that Darren Wilson did not carry a taser only because it was uncomfortable. Anyway, Darren Wilson comparing Michael Brown to a demon made Michael Brown seem monstrous to the courtroom rather than just an aggressive adolescent. There was no need for that comparison, he pretty much played the “pity me” card and it worked.
Loss of Innocence in Black America: Group B
In recent times, an opinionated article written by Stacy Patton, a reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education, was published in the Washington Post. In the article, “In America, black children don’t get to be children ”, Patton illustrates society’s preconception on young African American children as minacious or better yet, monstrous. In several sections in the article, Patton testifies to the belief that black children lose their innocence almost instantaneously in a white nation. Despite possessing civil rights, the idea of equality is absent and cannot be obtained in a society where Caucasian’s “dehumanized” and degrade young African American children because they are a so-called threat to society according to Patton. Doctors have even gone as far to say that African American children’s biological development is far less mature, categorizing them independent of caucasian children. Further more, Patton discusses the loss of innocence of young black children who seem to be portrayed as juvenile delinquents, as a cause of unjust supreme officials.
Patton illustrates the perception of young African American children in a biased society using recent historical court cases, such as Wilson vs. Brown and Zimmerman vs. Martin. In both cases, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin were nothing more than adolescent victims of an unjust crime committed by obstinate officers. In Wilson and Zimmerman’s defense, they claimed that they felt a sense of danger and therefore did not appropriately assess their age. More so, they based their judgment on physical appearance such as height and hand size. With that being said, Patton emphasizes the discernment that African American children are not categorized as children, but as a threat to society, despite their actual age. The fact of the matter is that black children are not the threat, but the victims of a world where they are robbed of their innocence and forced to live in a world where they are taught to fear the police, and any white persons for that matter. The idea of equality and civil rights don’t seem to ever apply when it comes to African Americans.
Group A Summary Post: Patton+Botelho’s Articles.
“What Happened The Night Trayvon Martin Died”
By: Greg Botelho
The CNN news article entitled, “What happened the night Trayvon Martin died,” written by Greg Botelho details the events that took place the night 17 year old Trayvon Martin lost his life by 28 year old George Zimmerman. Told in a sequential order, there were a few observations vital to the make-up of this article along with the case in general. Firstly, we see an act of disobedience. George Zimmerman despite being ordered not to follow Trayvon, took it upon himself to do the opposite. He consciously made the decision to take care of the situation as he saw best fit. Had he had chosen to listen; readers and observers are only left to assume that a life would have been spared. Secondly, we transition into a state of obscurity. No one is 100% certain as to who initiated the fight or argument that led to the killing of Trayvon. It is unclear whose voice is calling for help. The mere fact that there isn’t any hard core evidence or witnesses to what took place instantly poses as a major issue as the case then becomes ones sided. Lastly, we see the concept of racial profiling being questioned, “Martin’s family have said they believe Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, profiled the African-American teen.” Readers are once again left up in the air to formulate based on the evidence presented, what really took place on the night of February 26. Lastly, we sense a lack of urgency or concern for the decease as Botelho notes that Zimmerman was “Subsequently arrested and, eventually, released on bail.”
“In America, Black Children Don’t Get to Be Children”
By: Stacy Patton
The opinion newsletter entitled, “In America, black children don’t get to be children,” plays on the idea of childhood and what it means for specifically black children. This article testifies to the unfortunate and unfair realities of black boys and girls, who in the eyes of the law are seen and treated differently than that of a child of the opposite race. The Trayvon Martin case, the act of lynching, Post- Civil Rights, the Jim Crow Era, the findings of doctors and anthropologist and the killings of various black children, are all evidence geared towards the author’s, Stacy Patton, main point. From the very beginning of her article and as the straight forward article progresses, it is clear that Patton’s main point is simply this, “Black America has again been reminded that its children are not seen as worthy of being alive.”
Group C; Summary Blog; Darren’s Testimony
In my opinion I feel that the testimony by Darren Wilson had a lot of loose ends that didn’t make sense to his overall argument, as far as him describing what went on in his patrol car. His testimony in front of the grand jury seemed more to me like a pity party that he wanted the jury to feel sorry for a grown adult compared to a 2 young black kids who he made seem a lot bigger than him. Not only was he 6’4 but he’s 210 pounds so for him to say he felt little compared to a big guy made no sense to me. The central claim to his argument was that he felt threatened by Michael Brown and that Michael kept coming after him after he shot him multiple times that he had no other choice but to shot him in the head. Darren Wilson claims that Michael Brown after they had a tussle in the police car had a demonic countenance on his face and describe him as having Hulk like strength. The fact that despite the built of Michael Brown, Darren Wilson felt that he could retailate like he was against a grown man and not get into trouble for his actions, troubles me. Society has lessened what it means to be a child over and over again with the way that the criminalize the youth of today. They’re too young for alcohol, drugs, sex but old enough to be man handled, abused by police and killed. They’re old enough to be seen as monstrous and not as misguided. That one can be seen just by his appearance as being dangerous or a threat but in actuality can be a child who could have been handled a lot better than he was handled. My point is to say that the many times teens who don’t look their age have received slaps on the wrist or not handled like an adult should be the same amount of times police pick up the guns for the right reasons, for just reasons, and not treat adolescences as adults because in the state of fear they choose to be a lot more aggressive with the power that they have as true adults.
Black America
Stacey Praston in her contribution to the Washington Post reports that black children, especially teenagers, are not treated equally in American society and are seen as threats to white lives. Her article In America, black children don’t get to be children pin points events in history when black teenagers have been assaulted or even killed because of the impregnated biases of their white counterparts.
The recent event at Ferguson, where a white officer gun shot an unarmed black teenager, is compared to other cases that happened in the 19th-century when America’s society was even more racist than what it is today. It was also compared to the 2013 trial in which a man named Zimmerman was acquitted with the murder of Martin, a 17 year old black teenager.
Determining whether the victims were teenagers or grown-up adults, not determining the innocence or guilt of the officers, was the main theme in all these trials. To the gunned officers, the aspect of the young victims made them pull the trigger in these threatening situations. Praston, however, argues that the officers’ decisions were biased by seeing all black people, whether child or adult, as “irresponsible, uncivil, criminal, and innately inferior.”
This is in part thanks to many medical publications made at the turn-of-the-century which featured how black children’s bodies develop differently from white children. According to the researchers, “the black fetus had a smaller brain, a wider nose, thicker lips, and ‘simian’ hands and feet.” Immediately, these features put all black kids in an inferior – monstrous and less than human – state. Features and ideas that still resonate today.