How fast/slow should black males walk in order to avoid being a suspect?

1. 61

   dianetrotterposted 12 years ago

   How fast/slow should black males walk in order to avoid being a suspect?
   
   Black parents have told their boys to "not" run because it will make people think they are running from a crime.  Trayvon Martin was walking slowly, talking on the phone and he was labelled a "suspect."

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2. 60

   Mary Shadowcrestposted 12 years ago

   How he was walking I doubt had anything to do with Zimmerman being suspicious of him. It was dark outside and there had been a series of break ins in the neighborhood. Trayvon was wearing a hoodie and baggy pants ( not sagging just baggy I believe) which unfortunately is an outfit many adults associate with gangs and other troublemakers. If his hood was up at the time it would have seen even more suspicious. I think it came down to his outfit, he was alone, it was dark, the had been a series of break ins in the neighborhood, and his hood may have been up. Many break ins that occur in middle class neighborhoods are done by older teens so that probably didn't help either.

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      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Mary, So you think he should have dressed differently?

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      Mary Shadowcrestposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not saying he should have but I do know how you dress changes how people treat you. Especially when you're a young adult or older teen. I know from my own experiences how adults can treat you at that age if you don't look prim and proper.

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3. 97

   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   I'm actually shocked by your question. You usually post thought provoking questions and really this is just sad. There are so many factors to this why do you even assume it had to do with his race? I would be suspicious of anyone in my neighborhood I didn't know who goes from walking to taking off running through people's yards (this is what was reported of Martin). The fact there had been other crimes in the neighborhood prior to this would make any good neighbor more suspicious of anyone not known.

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      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Peeples I am painfully aware of the suspicion cast on black males when they run...usually from the police.  If you don't do it, that is wonderful!  The issue is real.  If someone were following your child, what would you tell him to do.  No space

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      peeplesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's not just blacks though. It's any teen these days that's in a place he doesn't belong. The issue is no longer just about blacks. Hispanics are treated in the same manner it just doesn't make news. Suspicion should be there if anyone runs frm cops

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   3. 61

      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree that kids shouldn't run from cops.
      Trayvon belonged there as an invited guest - there's no log in procedure
      He was suspicious because he walked slowly.  http://dianetrotter.hubpages.com/hub/Ki … ism-what-i

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4. 46

   Ericdierkerposted 12 years ago

   As private security I worked a beat through the night for a few years. I followed a bunch of young men. The ones that worried me wore sunglasses and hoodies in the dark. I cared more about if they were built like marines, than the color of skin which I could not make out in the dark. Behind someone "shadowing" them is tough at best.
   
   Jesus and Buddha both walked all around. We must assume some of it was in the dark. They did what we call trudged. It really means to walk with purpose. On my street these Jehovah's witnesses walk along really strange. Like they got no purpose. If they were not by twos and carrying their bible and doing it at night I might do some whoop ass on their creepy ass cracka behinds.
   
   Diane my good friend. You do not live down here with us slobs. We are not cool to the rule. Half the time we just survive. And sometimes we turn on a creep ass who is following us and sometimes it ends badly. One time I was fighting with a punk ass biker, we were hard at it, then his darned buddy brought a gun to a fist fight. Then the cops hauled him away. It could have ended badly. I do not remember our races.

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      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Eric, I haven't answered your other post yet because REPLY for some reason didn't come up.  So you say they should walk with purpose.  I think frame of reference comes in here.  How do you explain that to a teenager?

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   Trish89posted 11 years ago

   This is totally nonsense. We don't know how he was walking first of all, there were no witnesses. And the whole "black person" thing isn't relevant. We don't know if Zimmerman is racist. I honestly think he would have followed the person regardless of what color they were. I think he was labeled suspicious for wearing a dark hoodie with the hoodie covering his face. Wether he was up to no good or not, we will never know.

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   1. 61

      dianetrotterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The question is general.  It is not nonsense to African American families.  This is a common discussion for people that deal with the problem.

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6. 61

   Maggie Bennettposted 11 years ago

   I would say paranoia is never a good thing; whether it is real or perceived..  Teaching your children to respect everyone including the police is key.  I have told both my son's how to handle a situation with the police.  What to do if they are pulled over and what to do if the are stopped in the street.  I live in NY and we have a stop and frisk law now in effect.  I do not agree with this law, but it still stands and you must comply or you are in trouble.
   
   You also need to teach you children how to dress for society at large.  Wearing a certain "uniform" whether white or black will alert those around them to take notice.  You may not agree, but we all do stereotype people and not always in a negative way either.
   
   For example, I do not think many people would feel threatened by a bunch of black youths who were wearing their Sunday church clothes.  However many people would be concerned being surrounded by a groups of white thugs with shaved heads and tattoos on their necks and fingers. 
   
   One of my key roles as a mother has been to teach my children about how they will be perceived.  Not doing so is a real disservice to your child. Even so, some people are still only going to see what they are going to  see and that is when trouble happens.
   
   As for how fast a black man should walk.  They should walk normally.  If a police officer stops them they should be respectful.  Never under any circumstance is it a good thing to run from the authorities.  You will be seen as having something to hide. Being paranoid in this situation will get you killed.  Cool heads prevail, and having a cool head comes from being educated about the outcomes.
   
   I hope this makes sense.

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      dianetrotterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I smiled at "Sunday clothes" because so many of my students don't go to church.  I've asked them to wear Sunday/dress clothes for concerts.  they then step out with the hoochie mama clothes.  Most have only sneakers to wear.

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