How should schools respond to the Trayvon Martin controversy and student activism around it?
Trayvon Martin (Special)
I noticed that a thread on a recent Get Schooled blog wandered over to the issue of social justice and whether schools ought to be teaching it.
Let’s take a more direct route to the topic today. Last week, my twins and many of their middle school classmates wore black clothing to school to memorialize Trayvon Martin.
Trayvon is the unarmed Florida teen shot to death while walking home from buying Skittles and an iced tea. Trayvon was spotted, trailed and confronted by a neighborhood watch volunteer now alleging self defense in the shooting.
The young man’s death and the failure to arrest the neighborhood watch volunteer has shocked and galvanized hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, so it should be no surprise that the controversy has reached schools in Georgia.
As a reporter, I believe in civic engagement and wish there was more of it. I have covered far too many city council, school board, zoning, planning, county commission and library board meetings where I was one of 10 people in the audience. We know that corruption flourishes when voters take the position that their elected officials are in charge and there is no need to pay close attention or get involved. More civic education could lead to more civic engagement.
As a parent and a journalist, I am encouraged when students respond to events in the news. I was delighted a few weeks ago to receive an email from a DeKalb parent about her son’s efforts to protest the hotdogs being served in the school cafeteria. The child had organized a lunch-time boycott of the hot dogs because of his health concerns.
My children told me that students took the lead in organizing their school’s Trayvon Martin memorial, which was restricted to wearing black so there was no disruption of classes.
I have no problem with schools allowing or even fostering student activism. But I talked to another parent who disagreed. The parent noted that employees at Coke or UPS would not be allowed to stage a similar protest in their offices. Why should schools be any different than workplaces?
The father said that he, too, was outraged by Trayvon’s death and had discussed it with his kids. But he sends his children to school to learn math and reading and doesn’t want classrooms serving as staging grounds for students to take stands on causes, no matter how noble or justified, he said. His kids were free to organize or attend rallies on their own time; he just didn’t want them to do so on school time.
What do you think?
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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231 comments Add your comment
Dunwoody Mom
April 4th, 2012
9:04 am
Of course what NBC did was horrendous – that goes without saying.
@ Maureen
April 4th, 2012
9:07 am
Please address the issue as to why you chose to use a 3-4 year old photo of Trayvon Martin.
Dunwoody Mom
April 4th, 2012
9:09 am
Maureen, those articles don’t surprise me. Just look at this blog – I’m sure they fall across the same lines. Though, me, personally, I am neither a Republican nor Democrat – again with those labels – ugh!!!. I was watching a special on PBS over the weekend about Harper Lee and “To Kill A Mockingbird” and how all of these years later this book is still widely read in the schools. The special showed a classroom in Birmingha, AL discussing the social and racial implication of this book. And yes, these studenst were able to discuss in a calm, respectful manner. It’s the adults in this country that worry me.
Real American
April 4th, 2012
9:10 am
For those who keep asking about pics of Trayvon and implying that his death is somehow his fault….the media never showed you the pics of Natalee Holloway drunk and all over boys (pics that her friends had) did they? Guess you think she deserved her fate too…amirite?
clyde
April 4th, 2012
9:13 am
There is a truth in the Trayvon incident that is very teachable.We have to wait awhile to see what that truth is.What it isn’t is a picture of Trayvon when he was 13. It also isn’t doctored pictures of the shooter.Nor is it an edited 911 call.It also isn’t misstatements by so called leaders.There is a truth here to teach and it needs to be found.Then the whole incident needs to be taught .Truthfully;where ever the chips fall.
William Casey
April 4th, 2012
9:13 am
I am certain that London newspapers circa 1776 portrayed George Washington as an egotistical “British Army wannabe” who was stirring up all this fuss in the colonies simply to protect the fortune he married into and as retribution for his mistreatment by the English officer class during the Seven Years War. History is fascinating!
Butch
April 4th, 2012
9:15 am
Real American,
Nope….not right. This topic is about whether or not the Martin/Zimmerman case should be discussed in schools. I have no problem with discussing facts. However, the point about the photo is a simple one…..there is a concerted effort in the media to present Zimmerman as a racist out to shoot a black kid. Do you really think that the schools will present this in a fair way until all facts are known? Or do you think they will follow the NBC path of manipulating the story? Having three kids in the public school system, I already know the answer to this question.
Not in School
April 4th, 2012
9:15 am
It is not appropriate for kids to dress in black for Trayvon Martin at school. His Twitter feedsv were full of vile and misogynistic comments. He had unexplained woman’s jewelry and a screwdriver in his backpack at school. Maybe he was intending to commit a crime? We don’t know he was the innocent he was portrayed to be by the media. The truth is coming out in trickles, leaving mud on NBC’s face, with their manipulated 911 tape, mud on ABC’s face with its carefully placed logo over Zimmerman’s injury in their “exclusive” video. What I know about this case, and the real controversy should be this, the police took too long to respond. Zimmerman should have never had to deal with the situation alone. What I also know, if certain children chose not to dress in black, it could potentially cause unrest in the classroom or bullying. Definitely not a good idea!
William Casey
April 4th, 2012
9:19 am
I am NOT an advocate of gun control because I don’t think that it would work. However, one simple question hangs over this tragic event: if Mr. Zimmerman had not been armed, would either man be dead today?
Eric
April 4th, 2012
9:20 am
I think an underlying problem is the lack of leisure to pursue social justice causes. Whether it’s the school or the workplace, citizens are being pressured to pursue achievement as the higher goal (which I don’t agree with). That’s why employers and schools won’t allow civic expression on “their” time. It must be done on the employee or students’ time. But who has this kind of time anymore? We’re all too busy working and studying.
David Beall
April 4th, 2012
9:23 am
Someone on this thread has called for a civil, respectful discussion of the Trayvon Martin case. That starts with honesty. When black leaders default in their support for the black person regardless of the facts and try to incite violent behavior by calling for escalation, retaliation, and by stating that “black people are under attack,” then frankly there will never be a civil respectful discussion. What makes this incident any more tragic than others? Black leadership see it as an opportunity for political gain, or else they wouldn’t be inciting racial divisiveness before all the facts have been ascertained
Real American
April 4th, 2012
9:24 am
Butch what isn’t right? Its not right that people want to demonize Trayvon to the point of blaming him for his own death when the same ones doing it would never in a million years accuse Natalee Holloway of being a little hot tail skeeze that perhaps deserved her fate for running off to get laid on the beach? That isn’t right? Its not right that there are people complaining about the coverage of Trayvon’s death when there were no such surveys of people being sick of seeing Natalee’s face on TV for well over a year? Tell me what’s not right….that people are complaining that Zimmerman is being railroaded but were these same people quick to defend Jordan Van der Sloot? Oh its not right, its just so not right.
A Conservative Voice
April 4th, 2012
9:29 am
Maureen, it seems you have done a good job teaching your kids your and your employers political idealogy. Tell me, what if this kid had been white? Would there be such an uproar? Would your kids have done the same thing? From what I understand, he was not exactly lily white (no pun intended). This is a classic example of “playing the race card” and the present administration is using it as a shield to try to deflect from the enormous problems with our economy, debt, housing, etc. and to try to excite the base supporters. This is a shameful use of someone being killed to further political ambitions. You know, we have enough problems in our schools without you using your forum to stir up the masses on issues such as this……you should be ashamed. BTW, are you and your liberal newspaper going to run a column on BHO’s shameful attempt to intimidate the SCOTUS to rule his way on OBAMACARE? I didn’t think so…….tsk, tsk, tsk.
Real American
April 4th, 2012
9:30 am
Well I see somebody got the Limbaugh talking points down.
Horrible
April 4th, 2012
9:35 am
Is it ok for students to be aware of current issues and respond to them in a non-disruptive way? Yes.
Should schools be teaching about “social justice” and “social activism”? No.
This veers way to easily into teachers turning their students into proxies/shills for issues like the economy, environment, and more particularly education funding (teacher pay) – “awareness” morphed into partisan advocacy.
Butch
April 4th, 2012
9:37 am
Real American,
As my daughter prepares to head to college in the fall, I actually used the Holloway story as an example to my daughter what can happen as a result of bad decisions. I never said that Martin “deserved it”. This goes both ways…have you heard me say that you support the bounty issued by the New Black Panthers? Of course not…..because I don’t come to the conversation with the idea that everyone that feels differently from me is a lunatic fringe racist. I was simply pointing out that the chances of a fair and open discussion of this case is probably not going to happen in our schools due to the slant in the media. If this makes me racist in your view, then so be it.
Dunwoody Mom
April 4th, 2012
9:44 am
Should schools be teaching about “social justice” and “social activism”? No.
Why not? The schools have been ordered by the State government to teach students about “bullying” and its affects and ramifications. What is the difference?
Russ
April 4th, 2012
9:47 am
Here’s a teachable point from these “teachable moments”: Our laws and our Constitution afford our people the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty; not the other way around.
Go ahead kids, wear black to mourn the tragic loss of life; but, don’t call it a protest, or rally, or any such thing that would or could be interpreted to mean that you have already presumed Mr. George Zimmerman guilty.
Not in School
April 4th, 2012
9:53 am
@Dunwoody mom, because what one group views as “social justice” another views as injustice. The redistribution of wealth is one obvious example. My family is not descended from slave-owning families. I am descended from fairly modern immigrants who faced persecution in their own country. Why should I spend countless hours working, in effect, for other people who choose not to work, but to sit at home watching Jerry Springer or the People’s Court or some other daytime schlock ? Why should I foot their bill because they didn’t focus in school and have virtually no work ethic? Where is my social justice? I believe in helping the working poor, but the ones who choose to do drugs and not to seek work do not deserve a penny of my labors! I am sure the public school teachers would never discuss that injustice, now would they?
Real American
April 4th, 2012
9:53 am
Butch, either your reading comprehension skills are truly pitiful or Freud called and he wants that slip back. Which is it?
Butch
April 4th, 2012
9:55 am
Real American….I’ll pick option three….you’re a tool
commonscents
April 4th, 2012
9:58 am
It is really sad and somewhat pathetic for individuals to defend Zimmerman by saying “we don’t know what happened” or “Zimmerman was defending himself”. The facts are pretty clear:
1. Martin went to the store to buy skittles and tea during the halftime of an NBA all-star game.
2. As he returned home, Zimmerman observed him and called the police
3. Zimmerman described Martin as “up to something” and “on drugs” as he complained about Martin’s kind always getting away.
4. Dispatched asked him if he was following Martin and Zimmerman said yes. Dispatch then said “we don’t need you to do that”.
5. Zimmerman confronted Martin anyway.
6. Martin was shot and killed.
7. Zimmerman told the Police that he defended himself and was not arrested.
Now it does not matter if a fight broke out and Zimmerman got his butt kicked by Martin. If an armed stranger(not a police officer or security guard) approached me, I would fight for my life too. In addition, the fact that Zimmerman had a gun and seemed intent on confronting someone would be 1st degree murder. If there was no intent, then he should be charged with at least 2nd Degree for the fact that he agressively confronted someone while in the possession of a gun. Voluntary Manslaughter would also fit because a fight broke out and a death was the result(same as if a bar fight ended in death). Or even Involuntary Manslaughter, where the death is unintentional. But the fact that there was no arrest at all is the problem. Anyone disagreeing with this has there own agenda and I hope I don’t live anywhere near you.
Listen up!
April 4th, 2012
9:59 am
A couple of things. First, Al Sharpton entered the picture at the request of the parents of Trayvon Martin. They called him a few weeks after the shooting and after they weren’t given any answers other than what George Zimmerman said. They had taken his statement then sent him home. The parents questioned that and, as a mother of two boys myself, I would question it too! We would have never heard of this case if Zimmerman had been arrested. I do recall a case in the Atlanta area where a former deputy told police he killed a day laborer in self defense after the day laborer killed his wife. He was arrested and then the prosecuter worked on building a case that ultimately got a conviction. Second, the dumb stupid stuff we do as teenagers don’t merit the death penalty. If that was the case, most of us would be locked up! I don’t know the guilt or innocence of George Zimmerman. But I do know something smells a little fishy with it all and I am glad outside sources have been brought in to look at the case. Having said that, this is a teachable moment for our children. I believe our children are the most colorblind generation ever. Hate is taught, kids are not born with it. We need to teach our kids to celebrate their differences and embrace them. Unfortunately because of older racist, I will still have to tell my children that some people will not like them and it will have nothing to do with how smart or successful they are. It will be simply because of the color of their skin. Use this moment to teach the children that there is evil in this world, but there is a lot of good. Teach them to stand up for the right and wrong we have taught them. Throughout history there have always been defining moments that pushed us into a new era. Maybe this is one of those times!
Horrible
April 4th, 2012
10:05 am
@Dunwoody Mom
“Why not? The schools have been ordered by the State government to teach students about “bullying” and its [effects] and ramifications. What is the difference?”
Bullying poisons the learning environment for the bullied, who are the teachers’ responsibilities.
It also has shades of “the inmates running the asylum” – ideally, teachers should be in charge of schools, not a mean subset of kids.
Karl
April 4th, 2012
10:10 am
Commonscents:
1. Martin went to the store to buy skittles and tea during the halftime of an NBA all-star game. True.
2. As he returned home, Zimmerman observed him and called the police. True.
3. Zimmerman described Martin as “up to something” and “on drugs” as he complained about Martin’s kind always getting away. Maybe he meant potential criminals.
4. Dispatched asked him if he was following Martin and Zimmerman said yes. Dispatch then said “we don’t need you to do that”. True.
5. Zimmerman confronted Martin anyway. How do you know who confronted who? Zimm claims he was attacked on his way back to his truck.
6. Martin was shot and killed. True and unfortunate.
7. Zimmerman told the Police that he defended himself and was not arrested. True. But also because of a lack of evidence to the contrary.
Now it does not matter if a fight broke out and Zimmerman got his butt kicked by Martin. If an armed stranger(not a police officer or security guard) approached me, I would fight for my life too.
Florida is concealed carry only. How would you know the man is armed?
In addition, the fact that Zimmerman had a gun and seemed intent on confronting someone would be 1st degree murder.
Since you are a mind reader how about tossing me the next set of lottery numbers?
If there was no intent, then he should be charged with at least 2nd Degree for the fact that he agressively confronted someone while in the possession of a gun.
Tell me again how you know whe “confronted” who and how aggressive it was please.
Voluntary Manslaughter would also fit because a fight broke out and a death was the result(same as if a bar fight ended in death). Or even Involuntary Manslaughter, where the death is unintentional.
Where are you licensed to practice law?
But the fact that there was no arrest at all is the problem. Anyone disagreeing with this has there own agenda and I hope I don’t live anywhere near you.
I hope so too. I prefer to let the police and DA determine if/when they have enough evidence to arrest someone.
Bob
April 4th, 2012
10:10 am
To those that say “Students shouldn’t stage protests” forget one important fact. Students are forced to go to public schools and they have no right to refuse given if they are healthy enough to attend or at attending a private school or being homeschooled. If you work for UPS and Coca-Cola you are an adult and can ask for time off, paid or otherwise, to go to the Capital to protest. Kids do not have that option.
Also public schools are government run schools. The government gives people rights that a private corporation does not have to give since employment at a private corporation is voluntary. The right to the First Amendment is one of the rights the Government must honor and since the 1980s those rights have been acknowledged to apply to minors with the additional limitations on this right for them strictly curtailed and defined by the in loco parentis (in place of parents) doctine. This in loco parentis doctine that public schools define behavioral restrictions on the student body no longer totally nullifies their First Amendment rights.
To ban protests at schools further the erosion of civics education in our schools. The level of civic education among our population is shockingly bad. Most people have no idea how our government works, let alone know how our rights are and should be applied to daily life.
Karl
April 4th, 2012
10:12 am
Oh yeah, and anyone who disagrees with me has their own agenda. Give me a break!
To poster called @maureen
April 4th, 2012
10:19 am
Why so much protest over using a shot of Trayvon from less than three years ago? Many beauty pageant photos of JonBenet Ramsey were from years earlier, yet I bet you never complained that those photos conveyed her as younger and more vulnerable. But this is a black kid so he needs to be shown as big, bad and scary. Every time a white girl or boy is killed, we see their Little League photo, their 8th grade graduation and all the family vacation photos. You don’t complains that it’s racist to use older photos in those cases. If the AJC ran a photo of Trayvon from two months ago in a suit, you’d blast that, saying why don’t they show him in gold chains and baggy pants? I’m positive there are lots of Facebook photos of white teens showing them drinking, partying and smoking, yet, when those kids are killed, you aren’t demanding that the AJC disregard the family photos and insist on using the Facebook or MySpace photos. Show a photo of nice-looking black kid who was killed and you yell racism because you want him to look mean and tough and criminal. How do you live with yourself?
Shar
April 4th, 2012
10:26 am
My concern about using schools as venues for social protest is that protest is one-sided – a statement rather than a debate. Not only does this lead to intimidation for those students who do not see the Martin/Zimmerman confrontation as a clear cut victim/aggressor situation, it also does nothing to encourage students to address both sides of the issue or to respect the American legal process of investigation, public presentation of evidence and judgement by a jury. While I’m all in favor of getting children engaged in the public sphere as is age appropriate, I have a real problem doing it in an un-reflective, emotion-ridden and uninformed manner, particularly when it can lead to bullying of those with different opinions.
That said, this is a teachable issue and can be a springboard for students to learn to think about the larger issues of prejudice, media influence and/or the prevalence of guns in our society. The question posed by posters above would be a great starting point – why does the AJC choose to show Zimmerman’s mug shot and Martin’s 12-year-old smiling photo? What messages do those carry? Why did NBC edit the 911 call and, if airtime was a concern, how could it have been done more evenhandedly? Why is this case attracting the attention of public figures like Al Sharpton when black-on-black murder is the primary cause of death for young black males?
Schools should aim to make kids individually think, not engage in pointless and uninformed feel-good group activities that steamroller over inconvenient facts and other people’s opinions.
Susan
April 4th, 2012
10:26 am
Very well said- Russ, people are not realizing the “facts” that they know are just braught on by the media, but the police and thier investigation is going to be kept underwraps, so the real facts are unknown. This guy Zimmerman if guilty or not will never be given a fair trial (if it gets that far) due to the media’s involvement. People that are making these acusations without knowing the facts and then spreading them to thier children will bring nothing but more evil and unjust in this world.
commonscents
April 4th, 2012
10:35 am
@Karl ……sigh
and I am licensed….Georgia State University class of 98′.
oh and the next lotto #s for Powerball tonight is 5-17-22-33-34 Powerball 27. I suggest you put $10,000 down on it.
Bill
April 4th, 2012
10:36 am
“How should schools respond to the Trayvon Martin controversy and student activism around it?”
They should tell the kids to shut up and go to class.
Not surprised
April 4th, 2012
10:46 am
The same people who tried to convince us that the tapes of Rodney King getting the ish beat out of him was, NOT A BEATING. He was speeding and high and thus it’s okay to be beaten nearly to death.
Since Trayvon had been suspended from school and at one time had a gold tooth, it is perfectly okay to be blown away. I think the majority of our white citizens feel that our judicial system is flawless. No cop has committed brutality, no judge has been unfair, so we should all just sit on our hands and everything will be just fine.
Ironically, today is the anniversity of Dr King’s assasination and I’m afraid after the grand jury’s decision, the turmoil after Dr King’s death and the original injustice of Rodney King will be like a small brush fire.
seabeau
April 4th, 2012
10:52 am
Gun sales are booming/as are the guns. Crime is down. If only innocents were being killed crime would not be down. The Stand-Your-Ground Laws are due to a need to help citizens protect themselves wherever they have a right to be.
Real American
April 4th, 2012
10:54 am
Shar, Rev Sharpton and countless others lead marches, meetings, start community outreach programs and more week after week addressing crime in urban areas. So stop with the tired and false assumption that somehow by shedding a light on what happened with Trayvon Martin means that other crimes have not been addressed. If you don’t know about those other happenings, its your own fault for being so willfully stupid and not anybody else’s because you are so woefully misinformed. You can also stop with the ridiculous “why use this pic or that pic” bs. Zimmerman’s pic is 5 years old too – how bout that. So both pics are 5 years old – now what?
Ron F.
April 4th, 2012
10:55 am
@Lee, a mom, et.al: The characterization of the victim depends on which channel you watch/listen to, but it is irrelevant in this case to my students. What I’ve notice among my students is that they see only his age, which is close to their own. I’ve used the case to teach about bias and how to express an opinion and cite evidence from a text.
What I’m concerned about is why Martin’s character matters in this discussion. The teachable moment is here and I’ve seen kids do some excellent research, exploring both sides of the issue. And I teach at-risk kids who aren’t easy to motivate. They’ve actually ignored most of the bias and are trying to find facts as they come out in the news. It’s interesting how their focus is on his death as a teenager rather than whether he was or wasn’t a gang member or criminal. They see another kid dead and they want to know why.
Real American
April 4th, 2012
11:00 am
The same ones so quick to want to stomp all over Trayvon’s grave, call him “thug” and try to blame him for his death…..well for all you who do that, I’m hear to remind you of how you also thought Natalee Holloway was a easy garden tool and deserved to go missing and how sick you were of seeing her face all over the networks…yeah, I’m reminding you of how you insulted her and questioned why anyone would think the Aruban authorities didn’t do a just and thorough job – because I’m sure you did….didn’t you?
liberalefty
April 4th, 2012
11:00 am
a lot of white men are intimidated by black men. i thnink this is a classic example of a scared racist who seen a black boy and then stalked him like he was a runaway slave.
660Griz
April 4th, 2012
11:04 am
Tell the students to respond only to situations where they have all the facts. Leave what is hot in the media today alone. Get them to think for themselves instead of just react to bullet points. Do they really think Trayvon was just walking along and Zimmerman came over and shot him and the police just refuse to arrest Zimmerman for murder? Do you think there could perhaps be more to it than that? Did Zimmerman overreact? Perhaps? Did Trayvon show a little too much holier than thou attitude? Perhaps. Did the attitude of one or both prevent an intelligent conversation? “Hey, what are you doing in this neighborhood?” “Went to the store to get some snacks…I am on the way back to my uncle’s house at (23 whatever street).” “Oh, gotcha. Have a good night.”
660Griz
April 4th, 2012
11:05 am
@liberalefty Zimmerman is not white.
liberalefty
April 4th, 2012
11:06 am
To a lot of white conservatives, they think black men dont deserve the same freedoms as they do. Zimmerman apopointed himself judge and jury over this black boy. I bet a lot of conservative white men applauded this brutal murder. whites have been trying to emasculate black men for centuries. but its only made us stronger. Thats why the average white man is intimidated by black men. Their fear is manifested in their hate of the president
Russ
April 4th, 2012
11:06 am
@660Griz, by your logic, President Obama is not black.
liberalefty
April 4th, 2012
11:08 am
@660
hes definitely white. just because he hispanic doesnt mean hes not white. Hispanic is an ehnicity not a color.
Russ
April 4th, 2012
11:08 am
@Real American: I agree that nobody should rush to judgement about the character of Trayvon Martin. I also think that the same consideration should be given to George Zimmerman.
liberalefty
April 4th, 2012
11:10 am
660
the “attitude” of MARTIN has nothing to do with it. hes walking and not bothering anybody, he doesnt have to bow and scrape to some gun toting racist. u probaly think he was being “uppity” and not showing proper respect to massa
guest
April 4th, 2012
11:11 am
liberalefty,
You mean the way the media has appointed themselves judge and jury over Zimmerman when they clearly don’t know all the facts. There’s a reason that people are uncomfortable around black males dressed in hoodies at night. And btw, you have issues.
liberalefty
April 4th, 2012
11:11 am
if this boy was white he would be alive today
Russ
April 4th, 2012
11:12 am
@liberalefty: We don’t know enough to say that “Zimmerman [appointed] himself judge and jury over this black boy.” Nor do we have enough evidence to call what happened a “brutal murder.”
Oh, by the way, your racism is showing.
guest
April 4th, 2012
11:13 am
Russ,
Don’t you know? Racism is only a one-way street.
Russ
April 4th, 2012
11:13 am
@liberalefty: “if this boy was white he would be alive today”
Really? Why? Do white boys have a higher chance of surviving a gunshot?