As a television news producer, I write stories about murder and other crimes that are so heinous they make you recoil in horror. Sadly, you have to develop a thick skin in this business and not let it affect you to the point where you can't function. However, the death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin hurts me deeply. In case you haven't read about it, Martin was shot and killed on February 26th by a neighborhood watch captain in a gated community outside of Orlando, Florida.

At this point, the shooter, George Zimmerman, has not been arrested nor charged with anything. He claims he fired in self-defense. The recent release of the 911 calls in this case has brought about more questions in this case, particularly why Zimmerman, who was in his SUV, got out of it to approach Martin when the 911 dispatcher specifically told Zimmerman not to do so. Also, there are questions about the cries heard on one of the 911 calls. Zimmerman claims it was him - but was it Martin? As a family grieves the loss of a son, this case is a reminder of  the ongoing issue of race in America (let's be real - this is not a post-racial America).

Many black men are familiar with the phrase "driving while black." My younger brother knows it all too well. He told me how he was stopped for some unknown reason, forced to get out of his vehicle, then forced to watch as police rifled through his car. The officer even opened the bag containing a burger he had purchased and checked out the food. I was surprised that my brother wasn't reeling. Sadly, he felt that's how things worked for black men and that it would happen to him sooner or later. On the other hand, I had a former co-worker who was deeply traumatized by a police stop. He had a gun pointed at him and was physically searched because officers thought he fit the description of a suspect they were looking for at the time. I can't put into words the pain in his voice and the pained expression on his face as he recounted that fateful night. Then there's the story from a friend of mine who was stopped by police for no particular reason. He happened to be driving a nice Dodge Charger. I'll never forget the shock and pain in his voice as he described his experience. I felt so helpless when he was telling me the story. I was at a loss at what to do to try to ease his frustration, anger and sadness.

That brings me back to Trayvon Martin's case. What can we do to ease the sadness, shock, anger, frustration and other emotions being experienced by Martin's family? Yes, we can rally, raise our voices and push for a thorough investigation into this case. Sadly, will it be enough? We're aware of other cases that resulted in the deaths of innocent black men. We're aware that justice wasn't served in some of those cases. I'm sure there are many more cases that we haven't heard about because some people took the attitude of that's just how it is...and there's nothing to do about it. Will there come a time when I don't have to hear another brother or another male friend tell me about an unnecessary police stop? Will there come a time when I don't feel helpless because I know it will continue? My prayers go out to Martin's family and to all of the men who have dealt with this...but are fortunate enough to live to talk about it. Martin's case reminds me that this could have easily been a case where my brother, my friends...or someone you know could have been the victim. I'll continue to follow this case and pray that questions are answered and that justice is served.

Brenda Carden

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Seventeen, not even marked by a real mustache. If you look at the picture, he’s still slight. Maybe he was destined to grow tall with big bones, a man’s hearty flesh clinging to his frame, but in this picture he hasn’t gotten that far.

I remember a boy I once loved at that age. His kneecaps still knocked when he stood with his feet together.

He left his house in the middle of watching TV, walked around the corner to go buy himself some Skittles, and in between his leaving and returning, he was stopped by a grown man, someone who was bigger and older in years.  Something happened and the man shot him dead.

I am a lawyer. I am often asked why I decided to become a lawyer. Unfortunately, I can't point to any one thing that made me want to be a lawyer other than to say, it’s just what I always wanted to do. The focus of my practice is children's issues. I represent children who’re facing delinquency and who are products and/or victims of neglect. When prodded as to why I chose to practice juvenile law, my answer is simple: I want to work helping rehabilitate juveniles now so they won't need me later in life, when it might be too late for them.

Trayvon Martin was not a juvenile delinquent with any prior history of violence or behavioral issues however, so he would not have been a client of mine. Trayvon had a family that loved him, plans to attend college and a desire to be a responsible, productive member of society. Perhaps Trayvon’s only mistake the night he met his tragic fate, was thinking he was free to walk around the gated Florida community, where he was visiting his father that weekend, while being Black. The tragic and deliberate killing of this child amounts to nothing less than murder. The decision of the Sanford Police Department not to charge George Zimmerman, the White man responsible for his death-- (because he mistook Trayvon for one of those types, who “always gets away” from the scrutiny of racial profiling), is deplorable and serves as a reminder that while we have come far, we have not evolved far enough. Black-on-Black crime often falls by the wayside, and the perpetrators become statistics of the prison system; White-on-Black crime however, seem to carry a different weight and that burden is often times, not as heavy when a White perpetrator is the obvious instigator. No one looks for our missing children; our photos mostly appear on CNN when we are the aggressors, and crimes against Blacks in general, go uninvestigated or not investigated to their fullest capacity.

In Martin’s case, police didn't have much investigating to do. Trayvon’s killing was handed to them neatly wrapped and ready for presentation to the State Attorney’s office to prosecute, complete with witness accounts (that they reportedly refused to consider)…

George Zimmerman overzealously killed Trayvon Martin, and is a man who fancies himself as a vigilante with delusions of grandeur; otherwise he would’ve remained in his vehicle, as he was instructed to do by the police dispatcher he spoke with, as he stalked Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman outweighed Trayvon by about 100 pounds, in addition to a reported history of aggression and therefore a propensity for violence. While this information may not be allowed at trial, it is definitely a reason for the police to have made an arrest following Trayvon Martin’s senseless killing. The laws do not distinguish criminals by the amount of education one has or even their standing in the community. Many so called important persons have fallen from grace. But frankly George Zimmerman would have needed to climb upon a ladder to reach the level upon which Trayvon was operating. Yet this white man has not been arrested for snuffing out a life, taking a child from his parents and stealing his future.

In choosing not to arrest George Zimmerman, the police department is condoning his behavior, almost as if to say, “Thanks for doing us a favor.” Not only should George Zimmerman be charged with murder but the charges should be enhanced with the hate crimes statute. It is horrible that a situation such as this comes down to color but the bottom line is if Trayvon had been an unarmed White, All-American kid, there would be calls for George Zimmerman to be put to death.

If you're wondering how a lawyer could be so jaded, the answer is simply; I am as much not jaded, as I am a realist who sees and lives this reality every day. The definition of justice is: “the administration of law; especially the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity; the quality of being just or impartial”. Thus far, there has been no justice for Trayvon or his family. The police have been everything but impartial. I call upon Florida's 18th District State's Attorney Norman Wolfinger to uphold his position, investigate this tragic murder and force his officers to do the work they have been trained to do. And I call upon Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to investigate the inaction of the Sanford Police department; show us that our children matter.

I love black women, so I fight for us daily. Not long ago, I came to the realization that uplifting and undergirding the souls and spirits of sisters is my life's work. I do love black men too; however, I often find it difficult to fight for them.

I may be disenchanted, but never has it crossed my mind to disavow black men completely because they are ours. Our fathers, brothers, uncles and our sons. Not even white supremacist capitalist patriarchy could sever the eternal ties that bind men and women of the African Diaspora. That is why I felt it imperative to address the tragedy of Trayvon Martin. He is not a black woman but a black woman's child. And every time I see his face, I think of his mother's suffering. A 17 year-old's death has helped a militant black feminist like myself to understand the needlessness of finger-pointing in our communities. We need accountability not blame, for the latter only reaps bitterness.

A child is dead. His murderer is free. I want to scream; to cry; to rage; to avenge. I want to destroy. But what would that accomplish? Instead I'm opting for revolutionary love--a love that strengthens understanding and renews hope. Love builds. Let's build today.


Trayvon deserves justice.

- Kimberly Foster

Sign the petition at Change.org to prosecute the killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin

Contact Bill Lee, Chief of Police

Sanford Police Department
815 W. 13th Street
Sanford , Florida 32771
Phone: 407.688.5070
Fax: 407.688.5071
Dispatch: 407.688.5199


Contact Norman Wolfinger, Florida's 18th District State's Attorney

State Attorney's Office
Criminal Justice Center
101 Bush Boulevard
PO Box 8006
Sanford, Florida  32772-8006
(407) 665-6000

We at For Harriet are still saddened by news of teenager Trayvon Martin’s shooting by neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman and is seeking answers and justice, along with everyone else and is proposing a “Blog-in” this coming Friday.

The facts seem clear: Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy, was shot and killed a little more than two weeks ago in his father’s gated community in Florida, by 28-year-old White neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, as he returned home in the rain, cloaked in a hooded sweatshirt, from the store… an iced-tea and candy in-tow.

Zimmerman, who was armed and thought Martin looked “suspicious”, had been given explicit instructions by a police dispatcher, not to leave his vehicle and to wait for a police cruiser to arrive, after he placed a call to a non-emergency number. Zimmerman (also cloaked in a red hooded sweatshirt) opined; “these a**holes always get away”,  and decided to exit his vehicle and pursue Martin on foot between two rows of townhouses, 70 yards from where Trayvon had been staying with his father, that weekend.

Zimmerman (who outweighs Martin by about 100 pounds) engaged Martin in a fight, essentially shooting and killing the 17-year-old and claimed “self-defense.” George Zimmerman has a reported history of aggressive behavior, Trayvon Martin doesn’t.

George Zimmerman is still a free man and has yet to be offically charged with the killing… inciting people to ask, WHY?

Please join For Harriet for a “Blog-in” Friday, March 16 and express your thoughts about a seemingly senseless killing, and urge your readers to take action.

For more information, please contact:

Kimberly N. Foster, Kimberly@ForHarriet.com

Update 3/19: The blog-in continues. Please spread the word about Trayvon's killing via your blogs and social networks. Mainstream media continues to mismanage the story. It's up to us to tell the truth.

Sponsors: 
THE CRUNK FEMINIST COLLECTIVE 
THE FEMBASSY

After nearly a week of coverage on blogs, the story of Too Short encouraging middle and high school boys to sexually assault their female classmates has yet to makes waves in mainstream media. Fortunately, there are plenty of diligent voices online who have lined up to do the work of speaking up for the girls who would be victims. Thanks so much to Joan Morgan, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Raquel Cepeda, Carolyn Edgar, Yaba Blay and others for their work. Here is a transcript from tonight's Twitter chat.

This discussion is only a first step in addressing these issues. We'll keep you updated on the story.

Last week, rapper Too Short, born Todd Anthony Shaw, offered some disgusting "fatherly advice" to his viewers at XXL Magazine's online home. Shaw explicitly advocated the sexual assault of preteen and teenage girls in a video.

"When you get to late middle school, early high school and you start feeling a certain way about the girls... I'm gonna tell you a couple tricks," Too Short said in the video. "A lot of the boys are going to be running around trying to get kisses from the girls... We're going way past that. I'm taking you to the hole."

Then, the 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Todd Anthony Shaw, asks women off camera to "cover their ears" to avoid being offended. Short then describes a scenario in graphic detail. "You push her up against the wall," he continued. "You take your finger and put a little spit on it and you stick your finger in her underwear and you rub it on there and watch what happens."

Whie Shaw is giving his graphic "advice," upbeat, child-themed music plays in the background. Source

The question is not why the man would say such horrific things. (Vile people regularly say and do vile things.), but why did the magazine provide him a platform? The minds and bodies of black girls are continually under attack. Those in charge at XXL, particularly Vanessa Satten the magazine's Editor In Chief, value the security of young black women so little that they chose to trade it for pageviews. Let them know that we will not sit and watch while they wage war.

TAKE ACTION!


1) We are circulating a Twitter petition calling for Satten's resignation as editor of XXL. Please sigh with a tweet to spread the word.
2) Email Vanessa Satten: vanessa@harris-pub.com
3) Contact XXL's publisher Harris Publications directly via phone: (212) 807-7100
4) Sign this petition!
5) Here is a list of XXL's most recent advertisers. Contact them directly with your concerns.


We've done it before. We can do it again. Black women deserve better.

Update: XXL Issues A Statement


There has been some recent controversy surrounding a video interview with Too $hort that posted on XXLMag.com last week. Many readers found the tone and content of the interview to be offensive and were angered that it was allowed to post on the website. "I agree with their perspective," says Vanessa Satten, XXL Editor-in-Chief. "I do not see all content before it goes live. When I saw this video, I was truly offended and thought it crossed the line. I had it taken down immediately. I am disappointed that an employee decided to post it and I am putting internal procedures in place to make sure content like this does not go on the site. The video goes against my value system and represents poor judgment on behalf of the individual who posted it."

XXL apologizes to anyone who was offended by the video and assures readers that the brand does not condone this type of content posting on the site and it is making internal changes to avoid any similar content being posted in the future.

Too $hort also responded to the video in a statement sent to XXLMag.com.

"I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended with the XXL video interview I recently did," $hort stated. "When I got on camera I was in Too $hort mode and had a lapse of judgement.I would never advise a child or young man to do these things, it's not how I get down. Although I have made my career on dirty raps, I have worked over the years to somewhat balance the content of my music with giving back to the community. Just coming from a man who wants to see young people get ahead in life, I'm gonna do my best to to help and not hurt. If you're a young man or a kid who looks up to me, don't get caught up in the pimp, player, gangster hip-hop personas. Just be yourself."--XXL Staff

Vanessa Satten has issued another apology. Read it here.

How could argue that we do not live in a culture that glorifies and celebrates rape after viewing this commercial for Hornitos Tequila?

In the clip, a woman is seen leading a man she believes to be her significant other into a bedroom. But there's catch. The man she's about to sleep with isn't her boyfriend at all. It's his twin brother. Get it?

Yep.

And it's not nearly as hilarious as the tequila company seems to think. This is not a funny mix up. It's rape.



Let's be clear. The scenario presented here is absolutely rape. No, it's not forcible rape by a big (black or brown) man in an alley, but most rape isn't.

Not only is this a sickening wink and nod to the "boys will be boys" mindset that excuses sexual assault as a normal expression of masculinity, but put the ad in the context of a proposed GOP amendment that would have narrowed the scope of what legally constitutes rape and it's clear we're fighting against more poorly executed commercial.

Hornitos Tequila is owned by Beam Global Spirits and Wine. Many have already taken to voicing their disgust via the brand's Facebook page; however, you might call and email Matt Stanton Beam Global Spirits Vice President of Corporate Affairs directly to get the ad pulled.


Matt Stanton
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
202-962-0551
marketingqueries@beamglobal.com

Not sure what to write? Check out these thoughtful open letters on the matter.

[Editor's Note: Yesterday evening I sent an email to Tariq Muhammad Walker of AOL Black Voices asking for an official statement on the Jawn Murray situation. He responded this afternoon. Here is our exchange.]


Hello Mr. Muhammad,

My name is Kimberly Foster, and I am the editor in chief of ForHarriet.com. On Friday, we published a story about comments made by one of your contributors, Jawn Murray. On Wednesday, October 20, Mr. Murray published two tweets to his Twitter account in which he referred to Black women as "angry," "militant," and "nappy-headed."

Black women were outraged by Mr. Murray's comments. A circulated petition on Twitter reached over 100,000 users, and posts on our site and MadameNoire.com on the comments have been widely circulated.

We are still surprised, however, by the lack of a response from AOL's Black Voices considering Black women make up a substantial portion of your website's readership.

Though we appreciate Mr. Murray's attempt to apologize, many Black women were left unsatisfied with his failure to accept culpability for the hurtfulness of his "joke."

We would like to know that you take our concerns about the behavior of your employees seriously. What is AOL Black Voices' official position on the comments made by Mr. Murray? What steps has your company taken to insure that your employees will be discouraged from making similar inflammatory comments in the future?

Please be advised that your response will be published as an official statement on ForHarriet.com

Best,
Kimberly Foster


Hello Ms. Foster,

Thank you for reaching out. We are aware of the insensitive comments made by Jawn Murray on his personal Twitter account last week and have reviewed the ensuing feedback from our audience. As an independent freelance contributor, Mr. Murray's personal comments are his own and in no way reflect the opinion of AOL BlackVoices or any staff member. Over the past several years Mr. Murray's efforts for AOL BlackVoices have been productive and professional. Mr. Murray's ongoing contribution to AOL BlackVoices is under review while we determine how best to move forward. As always, BlackVoices' mission is to provide an inclusive environment for news and views for, by and about the black community.

Regards,

Tariq Muhammad Walker
VP AOL BlackVoices


The Tom Joyner Morning Show has yet to respond to our request for comment. Contact Reach Media at (972) 789-1058 or Maiya Hollie maiya.hollie@reachmediainc.com

[Editor's Note: I received this letter written to VP of AOL Black Voices Tariq Muhammad regarding Jawn Murray's offensive Twitter rant. The author, Regina Hamilton, requested it be published here.]

Hello Mr. Tariq Muhammad,

My name is Regina Hamilton and I am writing concerning the recent derogatory comments one of your reporters, a Mr. Jawn Murray, made on twitter, seemingly about black women. I am writing, not only about these disparaging comments, but also about the so-called apology that Mr. Murray posted on Youtube. I watched the entirety of the posted apology, and while I applaud his efforts at trying to assuage the hurt feelings and offended sensibilities of some of his fan base by speaking, I am simultaneously outraged that Mr. Murray thinks he can denigrate black women and then reduce his culpability by claiming he was merely “making a joke.”

I find it interesting that in the defense of Tyler Perry, a director, producer, and writer who has been known to consistently reproduce certain derogatory stereotypes of black women, that Mr. Murray finds it necessary to take up this same black woman-hating discourse. What does being “nappy-headed” and “militant” have to do with having distaste for either Mr. Perry or the comments made by Mr. Murray? I don’t understand the connection, and in Mr. Murray’s apology video I would have liked an explanation of this random juxtaposition between “nappy-headedness,” “militancy,” and a supposed assault on Tyler Perry. There are innumerable critics of Mr. Perry’s work and they include people from many different races (and with many different hairstyles). What is it about women (black or otherwise) with an opinion that causes such harsh and hurtful responses? Why is it that no matter our academic standing or credentials for social critique, we are assumed to be excessively critical to a level that needs regulation by men or society at large? The fact of the matter is that it is our right to critique the images of black women that are appropriated by the modern media and to have those critiques taken seriously whether we are “militant” or “nappy-headed” or not.

Let’s unpack the term “nappy-headed” for a second. Aside, from simply gesturing toward the “militancy” or anti-mainstream nature of black women who choose to wear their hair naturally (meaning that the hair is not chemically straightened and/or straightened using heat), the invocation of “naps” or nappy-headedness hearkens to a time when “nappy-headed” was just one of the many different derogatory terms used against black people. Black hair was “nappy,” meaning unnaturally curly, coarse, unruly and hard to manage, in other words not white hair. Nappy hair was (is?) one more corporeal signifier that allowed for a reading of “coloredness” and therefore the state of being “less than” onto a specifically black body. This is a discourse of racial hierarchy, one of many discourses that started with the advent and proliferation of slavery and racial prejudice through these United States.

There are many things that are problematic with Mr. Murray’s tweets and subsequent apology video. The first, and I think more hurtful, thing is that Mr. Murray, as a black man (STILL) thinks it is funny to propagate certain discourses about black women. I put Mr. Murray’s comments in the same category that I put Don Imus’ “nappy-headed ho” comments about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team, in fact, since Mr. Murray is a member of the same race as the women he is maligning and also wears his hair in a natural style, his comments are all the more hurtful. Mr. Murray is a well-known (well, sort of) black commentator on black culture, news and entertainment. He is afforded a voice and there are people who will believe in the veracity of what he says, joke or not. It’s a shame that Mr. Murray uses his voice to take shots at many of the people who have supported his career in its varying facets over the years. It is also very sad that Mr. Murray does not seem to understand or care that he is being instrumental in bringing certain negative stereotypes about black women into the present and future, while continuing to propagate raced, classed and gendered discourses that map “otherness” onto black female bodies.

Regina Hamilton is a 24 year old graduate student and culture critic. She believes in the power of words and the consequences of using them unwisely. Lift your voice, but remember the systems of control that we all have to operate within. Illuminate these systems of control and try not to propagate them.

Tariq Muhammad of AOL Black Voices has issued an official statement. View it here.

The Tom Joyner Morning Show has yet to respond to our request for comment. Contact Reach Media at (972) 789-1058 or Maiya Hollie maiya.hollie@reachmediainc.com

Who's looking out for Black women? Who comes to our defense when we are publicly demeaned?

On Wednesday, October 20, Jawn Murray, an entertainment reporter for AOL's Black Voices and contributor to the Tom Joyner Morning Show, sent out this tweet:



Certainly, Mr. Murray could have expressed his enthusiasm for Tyler Perry's latest work without insulting Black women or natural hair. The language was unnecessarily offensive.  And when Black women pushed back, Murray followed up with this:



In light of Jawn Murray's employment by media outlets which claim to cater to the needs and interests of African-Americans, his statements are unacceptable.  That is why For Harriet is circulating a petition to demand an apology from Mr. Murray.

Mr. Murray made a mistake. An apology is not too much to ask for. 

While we attend to the greater ills that plague Black women like the deadliest breast cancers and domestic violence, we cannot continue to ignore the constant denigration that we receive.

UPDATE: JAWN MURRAY HAS ISSUED AN APOLOGY. 



Tariq Muhammad of AOL Black Voices has issued an official statement. View it here.
The Tom Joyner Morning Show has yet to respond to our request for comment. Contact Reach Media at (972) 789-1058 or Maiya Hollie at maiya.hollie@reachmediainc.com