Topic > The case of Trayvon Martin and the "Stand your ground" law in the United States

IndexThe racial injustice facing African AmericansTrayvon MartinStand your ground lawConclusion In 2005, Florida's "Stand your ground" law was passed. This law allows people to respond to threats or force without fear of criminal prosecution. In other words, if a person senses an imminent threat, they can immediately use lethal force and shoot without going to prison. For decades, African Americans have faced racial discrimination, prejudice and racism. Black Americans face the most racial discrimination. Treyvon Martin was a 17-year-old African-American teenager who was fatally shot by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. This essay will analyze the racial injustices that African Americans face and the death of Trayvon Martin. This essay will also look at social policy and basic laws. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Racial Injustice Facing African AmericansRacial injustice is common among African Americans. The most common is racial discrimination. In black communities, they face racial discrimination in many different ways. The most common is racial discrimination and racial profiling. African Americans receive racial profiling most of the time when they are in public. According to the ACLU (2020), “racial profiling refers to the discriminatory practice by law enforcement of targeting an individual's race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.” This means that the use of race, such as skin color, is used to determine who gets stopped. Racial profiling also happens when walking, driving or shopping. African Americans are the most targeted because of their race and skin color. In contrast, white Americans do not experience the same discrimination. White Americans have advantages such as education, wealth, and jobs. As stated by Cole (2019), white privilege refers to the set of benefits that white people receive in a racially structured society where they are at the top of the racial hierarchy. This means that white skin is seen as the superior race. White-skinned individuals do not face the same challenges as people of color. For example, a white male walking down the street in a black hoodie is less likely to be stopped by law enforcement than a black male. Another example is driving: a black African American would be more likely to be stopped than a white person. This shows how race is affected due to their social status. Trayvon Martin According to the Sentinel (2013), on February 26, 2012, a young African American teenager named Trayvon Martin was walking home from a convenience store. He was wearing a black hoodie, carrying a bag of skittles and a bottle of juice. Trayvon shot to death by George Zimmerman; a neighborhood watch volunteer who patrolled the small town community of Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman told police he shot unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense during a physical altercation they had. Zimmerman called the non-emergency line to report Trayvon, saying he seemed suspicious. He was told not to follow Trayvon. By the time the police arrived, Trayvon Martin was dead and George Zimmerman was questioned and then released. This became a social issue because the police chose not to arrest Zimmerman and people believed that Zimmerman had racially profiled Trayvon. Because Trayvon Martin was black, the.