ADIS
Trayvon’s death made a reality I didn’t want to grasp palpable.
Black Rock
Trayvon Martin was shot and killed on February 26, 2012. That was the same day A Raisin in the Sun wrapped at Valencia College in Orlando. In Lorraine Hansberry’s famous work, I played Walter Lee Younger, a young man disgruntled by racism and life’s obstacles. I did not know how much the role would foreshadow my life.
The first time I heard about Trayvon’s killing I was dumbfounded. The headlines sprawled across my computer screen: “Unarmed Teenager Killed!” I shared an article on Facebook entitled, “On Skittles, Iced Tea, and White Privilege” which detailed the terror of living in America as a mother of black children, worrying about the ominous threat of violence because of their skin color.
My family stressed I lived in a world where I’m viewed as a danger because I’m black.
When I thought about Trayvon’s killing, my mind raced, heart full of emotions. The story evoked a pain very real to me and unearthed memories I suppressed of “the Talk.” Growing up, “the talk” wasn’t a one time event; it was a series, and those episodes aired often.
On many occasions, my family spoke of events which stressed I lived in a world where I’m…
