Yesterday a request spread through social media like wildfire – blackout your profile pictures on each of your social media sites until a verdict is delivered in the George Zimmerman trial.
Many, like me, obliged with no questions asked. I would suppose that they, like me, understood that this was a show of solidarity in support of the Martin Family. Our efforts to blackout our profile pictures would show the world and the defense that we support Trayvon and we want justice for him, which can only come with a guilty verdict from the jury.
Then there were some who declined to participate, which is their right, because they didn’t believe a blackout would bring Trayvon back. Some even said that they would not participate in the blackout because there are many other injustices that we should be fighting for that don’t get the attention that this case has … and that we have only started to protest again because the trial is currently going on.
I cannot disagree with these things.
We should be fighting for justice in all aspects of our lives.
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Right now racism is the national injustice we are fighting and this case gives it a face. It’s much easier to fight injustice with a face than an abstract concept. You can’t try an abstract concept in court to change policy.
Additionally, you can’t not fight for one injustice because there are other fights to fight. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t participate in the blackout.
The blackout is important to THIS civil rights protest. It’s something that is rooted in the history of civil rights protest.
On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white patron. Her arrest sparked a 13-month bus boycott. The people who decided to support her by refusing to ride the bus could not change the outcome of her criminal trial, but their show of support helped change the course of history.
During the Civil Rights Movement there were many times that people showed their support for a cause or a case using symbolism. From the Black Power fist pump to proclaiming “I’m black and I’m proud,” small shows of support for a cause or movement have shown to make a difference and are a part of the fight for justice.
So, while the blacked out avatar’s aren’t going to bring Trayvon back, it will show the support that the Martin family has – and it shows that people are watching. We are waiting to see if there will be justice for the blatant racism that George Zimmerman exhibited when he shot a 17-year-old boy in cold blood. The blackout for Trayvon is a natural part of any movement.
Thanks to whoever started it. Seems that civil rights isn’t lost on the younger generation as everyone says. Check the avatars – they tell the story.
Related:
If born several decades earlier Brandi N. Williams would have been an afro wearing, fist-in-the air social activist. Instead the bicentennial baby and hip-hop music lover chose a career in public relations. Brandi, also known as Mizz Bea, uses her nearly two decades of industry experience to bridge the divide between the streets and the suites.
Follow @mizzbea2u Friend facebook.com/mizzbeapr
