[van-announce] Million Hoodies - Vancouver - April 1: Mourn and Resist for Trayvon Martin

[Charlotte Kates]

*From Facebook:*
*
*
*Million Hoodies - Vancouver*
*Sunday, April 1*
*2 pm - 5 pm*
*Grandview Park*
*Charles at Commercial Drive, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories*
*Facebook Event: * https://www.facebook.com/events/199015623535082/ *
*
 HOODIE UP in solidarity with Trayvon Martin and all young people who have
been targeted, hurt, or lost their lives as a result of racial profiling.

Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old African American high school student. He
lived with his mother and older brother, and wanted to to study aviation.
He was visiting his father in a gated community in Sanford when he was shot
by the neighbourhood watch captain, George Zimmerman. Trayvon was wearing a
hoodie, on foot and un-armed; he had been to the store during a break in
the NBA game to get Skittles and iced tea. Prior to shooting him in the
chest, Zimmerman had called the police to report Trayvon's "suspicious"
behavior (walking while black??) and insisted on pursuing him. Police have
not arrested Zimmerman because he claims that he killed Trayvon in
self-defense, under the protection of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Police also did not contact Trayvon's family and registered him in the
morgue as John Doe, in spite of having his cellphone in their possession
when he was pronounced dead.

For full story - http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/20/
walking_while_black_florida_police_resist

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The hoodie is a symbol of how we are NOT subject to the same treatment, how
some of us have to expect violence and negligence, not safety or
protection, from institutions like the police because of systemic racism.
In spite of how common and "trendy" the hoodie is, it retains associations
with "danger" and "criminality" when worn by people of colour, especially
those who are perceived to be poor/of lower economic class and therefore
"not belonging" in particular areas.

Cultural racism means that mainstream society feels entitled both to treat
people of color on the basis of racial stereotypes (which erases one's
individual character) AND to have ready access to people of color's
personal/private identities at all times (which makes one's individual body
hyper-visible).

Racial profiling in the form of policing, surveillance and incarceration
affects many youth of color in the Lower Mainland from Arab, Muslim, South
and/or Southeast Asian communities, and especially Indigenous and Black
communities, who are already over-represented, with growing numbers, in
Canada's prison system.

Visit http://icouldbetrayvon.com/

STAND UP AND REMEMBER.
MAKE YOUR STORIES HEARD.
HOODIE UP.

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Links to check out:

Video of parents of Trayvon Martin speaking http://is.gd/unCRaG

Video w/Brian Jones http://is.gd/S6ZKHQ

http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/a-young-black-man-being-late

http://www.urbancusp.com/newspost/the-bullet-next-time-an-ope
n-letter-to-my-unborn-black-son/

http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/03/koritha_mitchell_living_wit
h_lynching.html

http://globalgrind.com/news/michael-skolnik-trayvon-mar
tin-george-zimmerman-race-sanford-florida-photos-pictures

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/trayvon-martin-news-7552519
?src=soc_fcbk

http://racismschool.tumblr.com/post/19758690223/the-million-hoodie-march

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/24/149245834/tragedy-gives-the-hoodie-a-
whole-new-meaning&sc=fb&cc=fp

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/mar/21/
trayvon-martin-shooting-911-call

-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com