I have experienced "racism" (or what we would consider it in this country) overseas where I was the minority. But you have to understand, there is none of the conceptions that we have here. Civil Rights laws, age, sex, etc. simply do not exist in most parts of the world. What happened to me may be perhaps as embarrassing as it was for the black soldier in your story. I put "racism" in quotes because today in this country it seems more a kind of unhealed scar that is often used to denigrate someone. Anything can be attributed to it, and the only proof needed is apparently two people of different races. Who really knows if there is a process in the brain that we can point to and call it "racist". Instead we have these imperfect notions that don't really seem to solve the problem. People do stupid things to other people, regardless of race.
We will never get beyond these complex problems unless we all have an honest dialog about race and race relations. In this case, it is possible that Trayvon Martin had his pride wounded because he thought that he was being pursued because of his race. "This guy is following me because I'm black," he might have been thinking. Pride offended, he may have chosen to confront Mr. Zimmerman--unwisely it turns out.
So what can we do? Well, first of all, let's shelve this discussion about racism and being "racist". Humans are designed to be racist--we separate and categorize individuals and make quick judgments (this goes back to survival in the wilderness, if we see signs of a lion hidden in the bush, we run before we fully realize what it is). We are all racist (black, white, etc.).
Without indicating race, why not report his death like this: Trayvon Martin was a high school student who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch ...
There, we can all think of him as the kid next door--someone we might know. Then maybe we can figure out better ways of making sure the next Trayvon won't be shot.
BTW that "racism" I experienced overseas? Turned the other cheek and didn't remember it until now. It was just some idiot and in no way reflected the broader population there.
