And why shouldn't there be some pushback to the myth advanced by the murder of Martin, that black people are in a huge amount of danger from gun toting racists. Most white people are not gonna shoot a black person for no reason other than hate.
What's this myth that needs pushing back against? Who supposedly thinks or is promoting the idea that"black people are in a huge amount of danger from gun toting racists"?
The Trayvon controversy was amount multiple issues. Most importanly it was about unequal treatment of people of color by the criminal justice system. It's also about the presumption of guilt that Trayvon had to face, first from Zimmerman and then from the cops. And some common misconceptions about crime do help create an environment where stereotypes about black people as criminals can flourish.
A lot of people face George Zimmermans every day, who just don't happen to have a gun on them. They just treat you like a guilty criminal for no reason. Pull you over for no reason, folllow you around a store just in case you might be stealing. In some cities cops can stop you and search you for no reason. Smaller indigities like ladies clutching their purses at the sight of you. These are all related to negative stereotypes about criminal behavior.
Nobody thinks "black people are in a huge amount of danger from gun toting racists". That's not what the Trayvon controversy was about. It was primarily about equal justice under the law. And also about a social attitude, which affects the behavior of both private citizens and law enfocement, whereby people of color are presumed guilty.
In my opinion this info-graphic in the linked article was trying to take on some myths that contribute to the stereotype of black people as criminals, and it was not unsuccessful at doing that.
= new reply since forum marked as read