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Trayvon Martin Research Paper

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In response to the act of violence done towards Trayvon Martin, President Obama explains, “When Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago… I think it’s important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn’t go away”. The history of the African American community in the United States that President Obama is mentioning is the concept of the construction of whiteness and how that “whiteness” has been used repeatedly against the Black community. Trayvon Martin is not the first nor the last victim of this history and stand your ground culture which Kelly Douglas explains in her book, Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God. Then the question comes to us when we observe these acts of violence, who or what is responsible for the acts of violence in the world like the murder of Trayvon Martin? Do we blame the murderer, George Zimmerman, who felt that Trayvon Martin was a …show more content…
We need to be compassionate individuals who are willing to take action for the sake of the community and we can achieve this through non-violence. Non-violence is not the same as complacency; it is a powerful tool filled with intent and thought to highlight the injustices of the world to be highlighted. We must remember the victims like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Vincent Chin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and many others. We must take our moral memory and refuse to be consoled until “there is no longer a culture that perpetuates… racial profiling and stereotypes that serve as the basis for illegitimate fear and the shooting and killing of young teachers” and God’s justice is “made real in the world” (Douglas,

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