Editor’s note: When Rasha Hamid heard about the death of Trayvon Martin, she thought immediately of her own son, Jibreel, and wrote him this poem. She provides this context:
I am a teacher, currently living and teaching in Khartoum, Sudan. Before coming to Sudan two and a half years ago, I taught in East Harlem and Hamilton Heights, New York City for 12 years. Through my teaching, I hope to make the world a better, safer, more equitable place. To this end, I have many conversations with my students about fairness, equality, justice and activism in its many forms.
I wrote this poem after having conversations with my ten-year-old son, Jibreel, about Trayvon Martin and realizing it was time for me to talk to him about racial profiling. He has, of course, experienced racial profiling, but I hadn’t yet felt compelled to talk to him about it in such explicit terms.
I remember
when you wrapped
a brass paper fastener
around your chubby finger
Look, Mommy,
You said
I’m the Brown Human!
I’m a superhero!
And yesterday
After we read about Trayvon
You said,
It must be scary
for a 17 year old
to have a man with a gun
following him
people listening all around
while he screamed
for help
no one
helped him
if I was standing
behind the guy
with the gun
I would go up
and take the gun from him
quietly
like I come down from handstands
You know?
and I think,
Stay a superhero
Survive
You will need all of your
powers
To stay alive
Because
when you walk
down the street
No one will know
that you know
if you add
28 and 82
you get 110
and if you add 110 and 011
which is like 11
you get 121
and that’s a palindrome
And you know
that if you add 1 brown boy
wearing 1 hoodie
and 1 crazy man
and 1 gun
and 1 bullet
in certain places
you get
this terrible feeling
of sorrow
and bubbling of fear
that pushes tears
from your eyes
When you walk down the street
No one will know
you carry a map of the world in your head
and the blood of three continents
in your veins
that at ten,
you plan out where you will live
when you grow up
by where you might not get
racially profiled
If everyone is brown,
mommy,
then they won’t think
brown people are bad
When I am afraid,
I want to say,
after pressing my lips
against the diminishing roundness
of your soft brown cheek,
Stay safe.
Keep your hands out of your pockets,
my love,
Don’t travel with
3 Musketeers bars
or Skittles
or cans of iced tea
Don’t wear hoodies
nor carry
a wallet
Nor drive a car
Nor walk down the street
While wearing
your brownness
Someone may feel threatened
Shuffle, my son,
Cower,
Speak quietly and with great restraint
When they say
Liberty and justice for all
They’re not talking about you
Your very humanity is
tenuous
Suspended by a fragile thread
But I tell him instead
Trayvon did nothing wrong.
Being brown is not wrong.
Going to the store is not wrong.
Wearing a hoodie is not wrong.
You have my permission
to wear a hoodie
every day
if you like
Some will fear you
for your brown skin
and your brilliance
and your boldness
But stand up
for what’s right
If you are afraid
Speak up anyway
And if there is a time
You need to be quiet
and hide the fire inside you
Repress your screams of
“It’s not fair!”
To keep yourself safe
That’s all right, too.
And when you are safe,
SPEAK UP AGAIN.
As a wise man once said,
The only thing necessary
for the triumph of evil
is that good men do nothing
So
do something
Speak up
Sing out
Walk tall
Be free
And love
love
love
For the fierceness
With which you love
is your greatest
superpower
And as you once said,
my wise child
Love is the strongest thing
Nothing can break it
And you,
are love.
Note to Teachers: There are still many unknowns in the killing of Trayvon Martin, and it’s challenging to resist jumping to conclusions. Nonetheless, this is an opportunity to ask your students what they are wondering and what have they have learned from Trayvon Martin’s death.
Here are some questions that may deepen a conversation with your students. You are encouraged to come up with your own, too.
Discussion Questions
- How do you feel about Trayvon Martin’s death?
- Have you ever felt that someone racial profiled you or associated you with a negative stereotype? What happened?
- The death of Trayvon Martin has touched on many issues, including racism, stereotypes, vigilantism, and fear. What is Trayvon Martin’s death really about? Is there anything missing in the conversation about his death?
- Florida has a Stand Your Ground law that gives citizens the unrestricted right to kill if they feel threatened in any way. What do you think of this law? Do you think it’s justified?
- Why would George Zimmerman have thought Trayvon Martin was suspicious? What does a hoodie represent to you?
