Analyzing the Death of Trayvon Martin: A Political Science Essay

This essay delves into the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, examining the incident within the context of racial bias and social injustice in the United States. The essay analyzes the events surrounding Martin's death, highlighting the role of implicit bias and the subsequent legal proceedings, including George Zimmerman's acquittal. It connects the case to the broader socio-political landscape, drawing parallels to Malcolm X's advocacy for self-defense and Noam Chomsky's critique of media representation. The essay explores the impact of the incident on the #BlackLivesMatter movement and discusses how media portrayals can exacerbate societal divisions. The essay also examines the role of law enforcement and the justice system in cases involving minorities, ultimately arguing for a critical understanding of systemic issues.

Running head: DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN
Death of Trayvon Martin
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Over the past few years, in the United States of America, it seems that the lives of the
people belonging to ethnicities and racial backgrounds other than that of white descent are
increasingly being jeopardized by the threat of fatal attacks. It is simply because of the reason
that there have been an increase in the level of hysteria among the people that the people are up
to no good. However the deceased and the unfortunate ones are reportedly not getting the justice.
The culprits have escaped the penalty on grounds of citing self-defense as the reason as the
motivational force driving them to the crime (Lee). In some other instances the culprit had been
rendered scot free on grounds of the condition of mental instability by the law courts. It would
have been credible, had such occurrences been rare and isolated, but that has become a regular
phenomenon. The conduct of the police personnel which seeks to victimize and criminalize the
people of colour very frequently just on mere grounds of suspicion and prejudice, reaffirms the
conviction that indeed the United States of America have become a hot bed of crimes against the
people of non-white origin (Lee). In this particular essay an incident of similar nature shall be
discussed, the homicide of a teenage boy by the name Trayvon Martin of African American
origin. The analysis of the incident then shall respectively be done against the backdrop of the
speech of Malcolm X at the Ford Auditorium and the views of Noam Chomsky.
On the morning of 30th of July in the year 2012, Trayvon was visiting the fiancée of his
father at a gated community of a mixed neighbourhood in Florida (Lee). He was fatally shot
down by a Hispanic man by the name George Zimmerman, who supposedly mistook Martin for a
burglar or some miscreant who had broken into the premises of the community. Martin was 17
years old and he measures 5 feet 11 inches at the time of his death. He was wearing a dark hued
hoodie. Zimmerman had contacted the local police station and intimated to them his worries
(Lee). By the time the forces had arrived, Martin was already shot dead by Zimmerman, and he

2DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN
was having some marks of injuries on his nose and at the back of his head. He escaped a prison
sentence as it was concluded by the law courts that the act was committed in a fit of paranoia and
self-defense. However, eye witness reports say that the injuries were not incurred by Zimmerman
at the time of the shooting. This incident had sparked the #blacklivesmatter movement in the
country. The issue was raised that it was the lives of the blacks which were in danger in reality,
and the whites, the racial supremacists were the real threat (Lee).
It wouldn’t be unjustified to regard Malcolm X as the precursor of the #blacklivesmatter
movement that has gained currency in the contemporary times in the country. In his speech at the
Ford Auditorium he had urged upon the blacks of the country to take upon themselves the charge
of securing their own lives and liberty against the onslaught which were categorically directed
towards them. He had lamented over the incident of Selma, in Alabama when a black woman
was mercilessly dragged and knocked down on the streets while the men belonging to her
ethnicity instead of helping her out by standing up for her, had chosen to observe the motto of
non-violence. He made it very clear by his speech that if the blacks wanted justice then they must
stand up for it themselves by stating that it is not unjustified at all to take recourse to violence at
the mouth of a life threatening crisis for the sake of self-preservation. The #blacklivesmatter
movement was however was not violent, but it did demonstrate that the blacks have started
taking things on their hands to make themselves heard and demand for justice (Malcolm X).
As Noam Chomsky puts it that the credibility of news has witnessed a decline in the
contemporary times because the motive of media being the disseminator of the truth to the world
has been co-opted the market sentiment of being competitive. In case of the goods it is
advertisement, rather dubious promises and descriptions that tries to capture the market and
increase the saleability. In the field of media, it is the fake news and the mad race for

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sensationalization of an issue. Basically, as Chomsky puts it that the media houses have
increasingly become agenda driven and they have assumed the role of hegemonisers, each
competing with the others for their claim to fame (Chomsky). The evidence of it can be found in
the way the crimes of the minorities are portrayed against that of an individual belonging to the
majority community, which is aimed at demonizing the former more than the latter (Lee). This
misrepresentation of a particular community by media, does incur them the wrath of the majority
and the treatment the Blacks face in the western world, proves the fact.

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References
Chomsky, N. "December.“On Fake News and Other Societal Woes: Interviewed by Irene
McGee”." NoOne’s Listening (7).
Lee, Cynthia. "Making race salient: Trayvon Martin and implicit bias in a not yet post-racial
society." NCL Rev. 91 (2012): 1555.
Malcolm, X. "After the Bombing/Speech at Ford Auditorium." the Malcolm X Museum and
Noaman Ali, http://www. malcolm-x. org/speeches/spc_021465. htm (hereafter cited as
AB) (1965).