Television personality Geraldo Rivera is known for saying and doing some bizarre things over the course of his career. But his latest gaffe must be at the top of the list.
For some unknown reason, Rivera provoked outrage on Friday when he said that slain teenager Trayvon Martin was partially responsible for his own death because he chose to wear a hoodie. HUH???
Speaking on Friday’s “Fox and Friends,” Rivera said, “I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.” Seriously, Geraldo?? So if you would blame Trayvon for his own death because he was wearing a hoodie, would you also blame a woman for being raped because she was wearing a mini skirt???
Perhaps realizing the power of his words, Rivera later backpedaled, saying he wasn’t “blaming the victim” but calling it “common sense” for minorities to avoid wearing hoodies. Still, he maintained that Martin’s hoodie was to blame for his death and that he was “reminding minority parents of the risk that comes with being a kid of color in America.” Yeah, right!
Needless to say, a firestorm of criticism took over Facebook and Twitter to denounce Geraldo’s words. Rivera later weighed in on Twitter, saying even his son disagreed with him. “My own son just wrote to say he’s ashamed of my position re hoodies,” he tweeted. Well at least there’s one smart Rivera in the family!
When I first heard about this Friday afternoon I immediately thought to myself…"is Geraldo crazy?"Then I experienced something on Saturday morning that gave me a "CHECK YOURSELF" moment.I had gone downtown to a Black-owned clothing store to be measured for my new choir robe. There happened to be several neatly groomed, well-dressed Black men also shopping in the store while I was there. They were all around me. A few of them even struck up small chat with me. At NO time did I ever feel threatened by their presence in the least.Fast forward: I left the store and headed back to my car about a half block away. I looked around and there was no one else walking by. It began to ran lightly. Thankfully I had my umbrella. I felt at ease. Then SUDDENLYy, without a warning I felt someone approaching over my right shoulder. Just as i turned to look, he walked passed me. He was a young black man (early 20s) wearing a grey hoodie. I. JUMPED. That young Black man had done nothing for me to react in such a shameful manner. He simply walked by me rather quickly and he was weraing a hoodie!?! In an instant I had judged him on the basis of 2 things: He was Black AND wearing a hoodie. Shocked at at myself and SO ashamed, I realized that I am as much of a part of the problem (the UGLY reality Black males must deal with everyday of their lives in America) as anyone. And I really CAN'T believe it 🙁 !
Oh wow Truth I'm speechless at your story. It just shows what we black men have to go thru every day even from our own people. WE see a white man in a suit and we trust him right away, but we see a black man in a hoodie and think trouble. Sometimes its the white man you gotta watch out for. I'm real sorry to know you did this Truth but glad you spoke up about it. Maybe now this can create change for you and everybody else who makes that same mistake.
<span><span>You know BD the thing that hurt me so much about my reaction is this: 1. I really don't know if I would have reacted the same way had the wearer of that hoodie been a male who is White? Asian? or Latino? 2. My brother (now deceased) was a dark man. He was always very particular about his appearance. Always neatly groomed and well-dressed even when sporting casual wear. But during our growing up years_especially our teenage years_our mother was never comfortable with him wearing jackets with hoods because he was dark AND very muscular. She feared someone would mistake him for a threat …so, except for a work jacket he sometimes wore (he was an electrical engineer) he stayed away from hooded jackets. I loved my brother dearly (he died much too young). He was one of the kindest and most caring men I've ever had the priveledge to know. To think of anyone judging him as some kind of "threat" based solely on his Black skin, physical stature AND weraing some particular style of clothing like a "hoodie" makes me not only sick to my stomach but also angry! As I said: For me the incident on Saturday was a "CHECK YOURSELF" moment. </span></span>
I am very surprised at your position Truthiz, however we share it in common. I too, have been guilty of the same feelings. Some of the clothing minority kids wear are a bit intimidating. If these black kids didn't wear their pants hanging down and those hoods covering their faces, maybe we wouldn't be threatened by them.
<span>"<span>I am very surprised at your position Truthiz"</span> As an active reader and commenter here at *OK WASSUP!* it's important TO ME that I be willing to fess up and hold my feet to fire whenever I feel it's warranted. This (my reaction) wasn't an easy admission for me..not at all. But no question about it, for me it was the right thing to do.</span>