‘Trayvon Martin and the new Jim Crow’

On the night of Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, Trayvon Martin was shot to death by George Zimmerman, who was later charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. The case that attracted national attention for more than a year; Zimmerman’s trial began June 10, 2013, and 33 days later he was found innocent and acquitted of all charges.

Last Thursday night, the Portland chapter of the International Socialist Organization held a public meeting titled, “Trayvon Martin and the new Jim Crow,” to discuss the incident and the state of racism in the U.S. Speakers at the event, which was held in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 294, claim that racial profiling of blacks, Muslims, Arabs and undocumented immigrants across the U.S. by state and federal authorities has increased along with domestic surveillance.

“There’s a racial system in play that says black people have no value,” said Deyalo Bennette, a Portland State junior and an Associated Students of Portland State University senator. “Someone can say, ‘I was afraid—he was black,’ and most courts will still uphold racial fears as grounds for self-defense,” he added. “We need a solidarity of colors.”

PSU student Anthony Lathan asked, “What is the true construct of racism? Historically, slavery wasn’t even about skin color. It’s about dividing and conquering so people don’t even see the real issues at stake. We need to ask what racism is really about.”

Amid murmurs of approval, a hand rose. “In the ’60s and ’70s, blacks were seen as revolutionary leaders—look at Malcolm X,” said ISO member Andrea Hektor. “When he was imprisoned he got a lot of mail, the bulk of it…from white supporters. How have we come to a place where blacks are seen as criminals?”

From there the forum moved to a discussion of “stop and frisk” profiling; the stigma of being a convicted felon and how attendees think this creates a class of people with diminished civil rights; and a sense of racism that speakers asserted is built into the very fabric of society. “Racism is the linchpin of American capitalism,” Bennette said.

When the discussion shifted to concrete actions Portlanders can take, the room hummed with ideas.

“People must address and change the way they address one another here and around the world,” Lathan said. “They need to become sympathetic and conscious of their internal, taught biases.”

Many attendees voiced the need to bring more to the table than legal representation to combat these injustices—that society as a whole needs to unify its struggles and be aware of injustices. The public, they said, should push to reopen stalled cases through rallies and public pressure.

“If people as a whole are divided and without orientation, all is lost,” Bennette said. “Humans are a young species and our potential is so great. We need to find our center.”

The Multicultural Center in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228, will host a forum on Aug. 6 called “Next Steps.”