The trial of George Zimmerman is currently
underway. For those unfamiliar with the case, volunteer neighborhood watchmen
George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for fatally
shooting unarmed, black Florida teen Trayvon Martin. At the time of the
incidence (over one year ago), allegations of racially charged agression,
racial profiling, and excessive use of force were all over the airwaves.
Indeed, I shared my proverbial 2 cents in a Sept 2012 post on this very blog.
This was big news that gripped the nation for weeks upon weeks, with pundits
practically foaming at the mouth in their condemnation of Zimmerman, and in
some case, the deceased Martin. And then we all forgot about it. Mind you,
there have been many issues that have deserved focus: the November presidential
elections, Sandy Hook, an increasingly vigilant and aggressive Mother Nature. I
am not attempting to condemn America's amnesia. I understand where it comes
from. That aside, the tragedy of the past has been brought to the present as
American's turn their attention to the trial. But the question that I have no
choice but to ask is "who is on trial exactly?" This question arose
from my close viewing of the cross-examination between Rachel Jeantel, the
young lady who was the last person to speak to Trayvon and the prosecution's
star witness, and the Zimmerman defense team. At times, it is not entirely
clear whether what I am watching is a murder trial, or a trial meant to assess
Ms. Jeantel's intelligence. Further, there have also been comments on what
appears to be complete apathy on Jeantel’s part as well as Jeantel’s appearance
and body weight. Though I understand the tactic of discrediting a witness for
the sake of winning a legal battle, I would like to point out how the treatment
of Ms. Jeantel by some members of the media, the trial attorneys, and 'informed
citizens' is highly problematic and illustrates the perpetual separate worlds that
individuals seem to be living in and perceiving. The purpose of this post is to first, identify the problem, and second, offer a plea to more informed thinking about people who are different.
As I watched the interrogation of Rachel Jeantel, Trayvon’s childhood friend
and supposed girlfriend, I must admit that I squirmed quite a bit. It was
uncomfortable to watch to say the least. At times, Rachel was incoherent,
defiant, and lacked the overall decorum expected in a court of law. Her story
was difficult to follow, and her responses to the defense team’s questions were
often lacking in substance and depth. What I picked up on the most, however,
was Ms. Jeantel’s aggressive nature. She came across hostile and defensive, a
common reaction when an individual perceives threat. And can you blame her?
Let’s consider a few things: Jeantel is a 19 year old high school senior who
has been asked to testify on the death of her friend. She does not yet have a
high school degree. She is receiving national attention for her role in the
case (something that she has not asked for). I understand why she is on edge!
She is in a highly stressful and threatening situation. I also watched as Ms.
Jeantel’s demeanor became drastically different. During subsequent rounds of
interrogation, she became much more subdued and almost apathetic. In sum, she
was completely over the questioning. Upon seeing this, I was immediately
transported back to my experience teaching in an inner city high school on the
West Side of Chicago.
I was sitting in a classroom working with three black
9
th graders who were in need of
remedial algebra lessons. Two of the students were eager to learn, responded
well to my instruction, and displayed the intention to succeed. Whereas they
jotted down notes, asked questions, and engaged with me and the material, the
third student, a young girl of 15, sat in her chair staring straight ahead with
her hands calmly folded on the top of her unopened notebook. Not wanting to
make a scene, I assigned the compliant students a number of problems to work
through, and called the young girl out into the tall to talk. My desire to not
make a scene was all for naught, as she raised her voice and stated that
“whatever I wanted to say to her, I can say in front of everyone.” I was taken
aback, but I held my ground and insisted that she join me in the hallway. She
knocked her books off the desk and charged out into the hall. During my talk
with her, she leaned against the wall, sucking her thumb and rolling her eyes
disrespectfully. When I had said my piece, and asked if she would at least try
to work through 3 problems, she responded with a lackluster “yes sir”, walked
back into the room, sat down, and started working on the problems with
accompanying loud sighs, and comments of how algebra was a bunch of “bullshit”
and how Mr. Wilkins was a “uppity Uncle Tom fag.” Though I was hurt and angered
by this behavior, I did not blame this child. You see, this young girl grew up
in a part of Chicago rife with gun and gang violence, drugs, and other forms of
lawlessness. She and her four siblings were being raised by a single mother in
a broken down house three blocks down from the high school. She has had to grow
up fast. She is tough as nails. She stands up for herself and makes it known
that she is not weak. This toughness manifests as anger, disrespect of
authority figures, and/or outright noninterest in school and learning. But this
omnipresent display of toughness masks other things. It masks fear and uncertainty.
It masks the feelings associated with the knowledge that others see you as less
than simply because of your social condition. It masks the reality that this
world isn’t for you. Because I understood this, my approach to handling the
student was different. I did not label her as lazy, unintelligent, bad/evil, or
one who could not be saved. Instead, I saw her as a young girl who has been
shaped by her circumstances: poverty, overcrowded classroom, racism, and
violence. Her behavior is not inexcusable. But it is also not her fault.
This is how I view Rachel Jeantel: A young woman shaped by her circumstance.
A young woman who was raised in a household where Haitian was the primary
language and where the language of the streets is the only ‘English’ you need.
A girl who, largely because of social forces larger than herself, finds it
difficult to read and do well in school. And most importantly to this
situation, a young woman who lost a friend and must testify on behalf of the
prosecution. I view Rachel Jeantel as someone who is trying to hide the fear
and pain associated with the loss of Trayvon Martin, all while simultaneously
trying to appear strong in a wholly novel context. I view Ms. Jeantel as a
young girl who is trying to survive in a strange world. It is this view that has caused me to become quite outraged at some of the comments
circulating on social media, news, and internet video sites.
“Yes she's way
beyond stupid, she definately is retarded.”
“SOME PEOPLE AINT
GOT NO TRAINING....I MEAN SOMEBODY COULD OF TRAINED HER HOW TO CARRY YOURSELF
IN COURT..SMH.”
“Dude she doesn't
know what half those words mean. Bitch is about as dumb as they come.”
“Is it legal to be this
stupid and be allowed to roam free?”
“Shouldn't
she be in a home or something?”
“lol this beast has
a two-digit IQ, I swear.”
“Dumb fat bitch 19
n 2nd year of hs who should believe this dumb whore”
“nigs gonna nig !
zimmerman saved the US paying for a welfarer who would have ended up in prison
costing taxes, got treycoon good the oily cadaver”
“Damn, is that a
baby walrus around her neck!!!”
“Is that a goiter?”
The quotes attack
Ms. Jeantel as a person. Individuals refer to her as being ‘retarded,’
possessing a low IQ, and undeserving of being a contributing member of society.
Additionally, there is a gendered nature to the assault on her as she is
referred to as both a ‘bitch’ and a ‘whore.’ Finally, comments on her
appearance abound (beast; comments about her weight). In sum, this young woman,
who has been asked to speak to the court regarding her knowledge of the fatal
shooting of Mr. Martin, is being attacked without mercy by a general public who
seem to have very little sympathy for her. Mind you, these are but a few of the
hateful comments out there.
It is worth
pointing out that the negative comments being directed toward Rachel are not
solely being stated by whites. Blacks have also been critical of her. But there
is a difference: Rachel Jeantel has been critiqued by blacks in that she is
seen as a bad ‘representative of the race’ (more on this later as I intend to
write a post on the issue of black on black critique). The point is, the
separate worlds that I referred to in the introduction of this essay are not
divided cross race. Rather, they are divided cross the ability to empathize.
Simply put, there are some who see Rachel Jeantel as a lazy, unintelligent,
‘whore’ who is just too dumb to contribute to the case. Others see her as one
who is a product of her environment and view her behavior as dependent on the
situation (said people are not suffering from the fundamental attribution
error). I am a member of the latter
group.
Ultimately, it is okay to critique Jeantel’s
testimony as incoherent and inconsistent. It was. But instead of blaming her for
the language and understanding gap, why not place blame on the social forces
that have led to said gap? Perhaps it is because the general public lacks the
ability to see the world through a sociological lens. That is to say, we are
unable to walk in the shoes of another or see them as products of the
environment. Instead of taking the time to bash Ms. Jeantel, why don’t we take
the opportunity to bash a broken education system? Why don’t we focus our anger
on the ineffective family policies meant to help families living in the worse
social conditions? More importantly, why don’t we zoom in on the issue that
originated this whole mess: the racial profiling of a young man by an
unqualified neighborhood watchmen which ended with the young man’s death? Just a
suggestion.
To conclude, when I
see someone like Rachel Jeantel, I am reminded of my sisters, some of my cousins,
and other loved ones. I think of them taking the stand after bearing witness to
some tragedy and of the backlash they may receive just because of their
perceived unintelligence, body shape/size, race, and/or gender. I see the world
through the eyes of a brother of two young black women, one who became pregnant
at the age of 15, lost a baby after raising her for only 9 months, and has been
struggling with school and authority figures ever since. I see the world
through the eyes of a son to a teen mother who was a victim of domestic
violence, sexual assault, and who has been doing the best she can to raise her
four children and one grandson. I see the world as a future father who will do
anything to protect my daughters, should I be blessed to have them. Finally, I
see the world as a sociologist, one who understands the power of social forces
and context and how they can shape individuals. Fortunately, I am not the only
one who sees the world this way. For every nasty thing said about Rachel
Jeantel, there is a comment that comes to her defense, or calls out the people
making the inexcusable and hateful remarks. I invite you, dear reader, to
follow this case. I also challenge you to see the world differently. It’s okay
to live in a separate world from others. In fact, choosing the academic route
has removed me from the ‘real world’ in a way. But living in an alternate
reality need not mean that you are ignorant to the social realities of others.
And it surely need not mean that you cannot understand where your fellow man or
woman is coming from.
~KJSW
