March 27, 2012 | 2:43 PM | By

Video: Black University Students Ask ‘Do I Look Supicious?’

A number of unresolved questions remain in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black Florida teen killed by Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Did Zimmerman mutter a racial slur when calling 911 to report Martin as “suspicious?” Did Zimmerman really act in self-defense? Whose cries for help are heard on a neighbor’s 911 call, Zimmerman’s or Martin’s?

As authorities continue to investigate month-old case, the continued lack of charges against Zimmerman has spurred a dialogue on race and led to countrywide protests and social media campaigns. Many such protests have utilized the hoodie, which Martin was wearing at the time of his death, as a symbol of standing in solidarity with the Martin family. The latest such campaign to come across our radar is from a group of D.C.’s Howard University students. In the video below, black male students and alumni introduce themselves and mention their credentials. They then don hoodies and ask, “Do I look suspicious?”

Do you think focusing on the hoodie is effective, or does it detract from the national debate on racial profiling?

  • Jmarino44

    It’s the biggest distraction because wearing a hoodie is not the reason he was shot (clearly)! The protests lose potency with energy focused on the “hoodie” as the problem. It feels like a teeneage movement when people say wear this hoodie, buy these skittles and drinks, now stand and say something. Where are the leaders on washington? Are we waiting for a new MLK or is this our generation to man up like they did. Forget the hoodie, and candy, this is not for kids. Black men don’t need to put on hoodies and ask “do I look suspicious?” We need to stand in our boxers, arms wide open and scream it! 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AGIMZ7MMGB6JK5BQ7BQTWZPLWU ZaidiB

    You can be 60 years old and still look suspicious to those who choose to perceive you as such. It’s their problem, not mine. Having no control over how someone perceives me, must not deter me from achieving my right to happiness, unless their twisted, racist perception of me is used to determine the limits of my mobility, block my access to a job or restaurant, or cause me bodily harm.