In solidarity.

So my university professor walked into lecture today – no less dressed in ‘hoodlum’ clothes with hoodie up, skiittles in one hand, Arizona ice tea in the other – ie. what Trayvon Martin was found with when he was murdered as a result of him looking ‘suspicious’ (read: being a young, black male). Of course my university professor was paying homage to and standing in solidarity with Trayvon Martin, his family, and his REAL community. One of my professor’s colleagues, who is Black (also my professor is half-black, but identifies as being black), yelled out ‘YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK’ to which he responded, ‘I’ve been watching my back since I was 5 years old’. Which of course we all know to be true – my professor sure has lived one hell of a life, as much filled with violence and trauma, as well as with resistance and hope – because of his race. Anyways, if I may use the word cool, I think what he did was ‘cool’. It reminded me a video on youtube where an American politician (? … I’m no American politics buff) had the floor to speak and was removed because he wore a hoodie in solidarity. I am happy to be in a university where professors (and students) do not need to censor their voices and their actions :). And, on another note, I am happy I don’t live in a country where ‘normal’ people can be armed if they want. I mean what the fuck? Our version of community watch is WATCHING out for our neighbours. Anyways, the whole ‘mess’ is contentious … it has to go beyond individual racism to systemic racism. I know that, for me, my family, school authorities, law enforcement authorities … have all somewhere along the line told me who to treat as ‘suspicious’ as a child … and yes, at some point that will have become internalized, if not already. Right, and I live in Canada where the goal of ‘security’ is not intense.

I was on the bus the other day and this guy got out … white, young adult, male … and lo and behold … the hoodie made its appearance. Only I thought … well jeez this guy has his hoodie pulled half way down his face so you can’t see his eyes and barely his nose… and he was all like hunched over with his head facing the ground and his hands jammed into the hoodie stomach pockets … if anything that to me would be ‘suspicious’, not a teen wearing a hoodie and carrying skittles and Arizona ice tea. If that constitues being ‘suspicious’ on a neighbourhood, then that’s like every male (though they are all white) at my former high school … except maybe change a general hoodie for an American Apparel hoodie, and skittles for a chips or a pattie, but the Arizona iced tea stands … ALL exiting convenience stores and none of them ‘suspicious’. *Sigh*