I read an article in the Root titled “Are Public Schools Safe for Black Children?” This question is a provocative one. The premise of the article is that black children in public schools across the U.S. are consistently subjected to harsher discipline and few resources. The article underscores the findings from a study released by the Department of Education earlier this week which found that:

* While African-American children represent 18 percent of the sample in the study, they represent 35 percent of the number of students suspended once, 46 percent of those suspended more than once and 39 percent of all students expelled.

* More than 70 percent of students involved in school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement were Latino or African American.

* Across all districts, African-American students were more than 3 1/2 times more likely than their white peers to be suspended or expelled.

* In districts that reported expulsions under zero-tolerance policies, Latino and African-American students represented 45 percent of the student body but 56 percent of the students expelled under such policies.

* African-American boys and girls had higher suspension rates than any of their peers. One in 5 African-American boys and more than 1 in 10 African-American girls received an out-of-school suspension. And students with disabilities were twice as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions.

These findings are unsurprising to anyone who has set foot in a public school in almost any city in the past 15 years. Community members, advocates, students, and researchers have all pointed out that harsh school disciplinary policies contribute to school pushout which can in turn be a gateway to the prison pipeline.

Also this week, we learned about the case of young Trayvon Martin who was shot while visiting his father in a gated community by a neighborhood watch representative. If you haven’t heard of this case, you should watch the clip below which I think captures the tragedy and outrage of this incident:

Folks coined the term “driving while black” to characterize the unfair targeting of black motorists by law enforcement. I think that we need to now worry about “breathing and walking while black” as well. Here’s a short description of what happened on the night that 17 year-old Trayvon Martin was killed:

The teenager was on his way back from a convenience store during halftime of the NBA All-Star game when Zimmerman began following him in his car, police said.

Chief Lee on Thursday said that Zimmerman called 911 and reported a suspicious person. “For some reason he felt that Trayvon, the way that he was walking or appeared, seemed suspicious to him,” Lee told HuffPost. “He called this in and at one part of this initial call [the dispatcher] recommends him not to follow Trayvon. A police officer is on the way at that point.”

Lee said Zimmerman instead followed Martin. A confrontation ensued, and soon after he shot the teen, the chief said.

What must it have felt like for this young black man to be walking home from the corner store only to be followed like prey by an adult white man in a car? What kinds of feelings did Trayvon have? Was he scared, angry, worried, outraged? All of the above?

I am consistently reminded of how dangerous it is to be a young black man in America. I never forget it. I worry about all of the young men who are in my life. I worry that they might find themselves shot down like dogs in the street someday; for no other reason than because they are black and therefore criminally suspect.

I have used this quote from Amos Wilson (1990) on more than one occasion on this blog and I share it again today because it is important and relevant to understanding what is at the root of this:

“In the eyes of White America an exaggeratedly large segment of Black America is criminally suspect. This is especially true relative to the Black male. In the fevered mind of White America, he is cosmically guilty. His guilt is existential. For him to be alive is to suspected, to be stereotypically accused, convicted and condemned for criminal conspiracy and intent. On the streets, in the subways, elevators, in the “wrong” neighborhood (p.37).”

I had a boyfriend once who loved Linton Kwesi Johnson and as a result I gained a real appreciation for him and his work. When I heard of the killing of Trayvon Martin, I thought to myself that for young black men, it dread inna U.S.A.

Dem frame up George Lindo up in Bradford town
but de Bradford blaks dem a rally round
me seh dem frame up George Lindo up in Bradford town
but de Bradford blaks dem a rally round

Update: I had to interrupt my “break” from blogging because I felt moved to write about Trayvon. I will be back to regular blogging late in the week.