News of the tragic killing of teenager Trayvon Martin has swept across the country, sparking a number of questions. Chief among those is why the killer, George Zimmerman, was not arrested after slaying a seemingly innocent boy. Beyond that, there is speculation as to what spurred Zimmerman's attack. Talk show host Geraldo Rivera posited that perhaps Martin's death was a result of his clothing choice. Rivera suggested that had Martin not been wearing a hoodie, it is less likely he would have attracted Zimmerman's attention. Furthermore, Rivera advised parents of racial minorities to not let their children wear hoodies.
Rivera's comments elicited a wave of furious responses. He has since apologized to both the public and Martin's family.
Though his phrasing may have been extreme, Rivera does bring up an interesting point. It is clear that members of society use clothing as a way to judge a person. Nevertheless, one's clothing choice should not necessarily result in strangers presupposing one's character. While personal stigmas associated with the hoodie can be grounded in experience, people like Zimmerman should slow down and assess situations more objectively before acting so rashly. The death of Trayvon Martin will hopefully serve as a wake-up call to a society which may tend to view the fashions differently across various races.
Rivera's original comments were no doubt absurd. He equated wearing a hoodie to Zimmerman's actions, claiming that "the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was." Such a statement is blatantly false. No matter what Martin was wearing, his death certainly did not occur because of the direct risk caused by his clothes. Martin was simply returning one night from the store and was on his way home. Zimmerman was the one who began following Martin and ultimately fired at him. Even if Rivera was trying to clearly get a point across about the stereotypes of hooded clothing, his phrasing was extreme and unwarranted. George Zimmerman is responsible for Martin's death. This is not to say, though, that Martin's clothing did not contribute to his being followed.
Hoodies are worn frequently these days, whether it is for recreation, style or comfort. For some, hoodies are imbued with certain negative characteristics. The association is not unreasonable. There are those, for instance, who use hoodies to help conceal their identities while committing crimes or doing other illicit work. One can almost certainly imagine mugging or vandalism scenarios in which the perpetrators have their hoods up to hide their faces. Though hoodies themselves are not indicators that the wearer has a high penchant for wrongdoing, the crime and bad images associated with them are what remain with people. And, unfortunately, race no doubt plays a large part in this too.
Something else Rivera said may also be accurate. Rivera claimed that minorities run the risk of being profiled more when dressed in hoodies. Wearing a hoodie may associate the wearer with undesirable connotations, such as the stereotypical image of gang members, to give an example. Or the uncomfortable reaction to hoodies could be perpetuated by television, movies or music. Rappers, who often allude to gang life, crime and violence, commonly perform in hoodies, which may compel some people to put a collective label on everyone who wears one.
On the other hand, many youths simply wear hoodies without making a statement or tying their clothing choice to any sort of behavior. Indeed, for Trayvon Martin, wearing a hoodie could have been a thoughtless outerwear decision before a nighttime trip to the store. It was apparently raining that night, which would have been an ideal time to utilize a hood. Zimmerman has been accused of racial profiling, and that seems to be accurate. The fact that Martin was African-American and wearing a hoodie at night may have been the necessary indication to Zimmerman that Martin should have been followed.
Yet the fact that Martin was wearing a hoodie does not justify any immediate judgment that he was up to no good. In fact, Martin did not even have his hood up - the one thing which could have made him look even the slightest bit suspicious - when Zimmerman first saw him, according to some stories. Martin's girlfriend, who was on the phone with him as he noticed Zimmerman folllowing, claimed that she advised Martin to put his hood up and run in an attempt to escape. Before that, Martin was just a teenager wearing a hooded sweatshirt, which is hardly uncommon.
Rivera's comments, then, actually hold some truth. Those dressed in hoodies run the risk of being viewed unfavorably, and minorities may bear this weight more than others. But this should not be the automatic sentiment people feel when they see an individual in hooded clothing. The Trayvon Martin story should cause those people who associate hoodies with wrongdoing to take a moment and reassess their viewpoint. Yes, the hoodie is a garment which has been associated with crime. That, however, does not make all those who wear it criminals. If Martin is indeed as innocent as is claimed, then his ill-fated demise should serve as a cautionary tale to all.
Alex Yahanda is a senior associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.yahanda@cavalierdaily.com.
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