NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Why Trayvon Martin’s Story May Not Make It To Film
© NaimaLett.com/blog
For 3 weeks…
George Zimmerman’s trial ran non-stop on television, with news anchors promising a verdict “any minute” every few minutes all day Saturday.
For over a year…
A father, mother and nation grieved the senseless gunning down of a 17-year old, unarmed African American teenager on a Skittles run, by the neighborhood watch captain of Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community in Sanford, Florida during a confrontation because, according to 911 transcript, Zimmerman assumes Trayvon is a burglar because he’s teen who “looks real suspicious, looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs. It’s raining and he’s just walking around.”
I mean, what black child in a hoodie in a gated community just walks around in the rain on a blue-tooth? Or runs when you start following him? Or fights you for his life when you have a gun and haven’t announced that you’re law enforcement, because you’re not?
For 16 months…
more than a million protesters signed petitions, donned “Justice for Trayvon” shirts and hoodies in solidarity, and marched in most major cities from Manhattan to LaLa Land, where about 200 protesters shut down the I-10 Freeway in Crenshaw Sunday after Zimmerman’s acquittal.
Side note: I wonder who was the first person to step out in front of the SUVs and trucks going over 80 mph on that Los Angeles freeway, for the sake of Trayvon, believing that LA drivers would actually stop. We don’t have the best driving records out here and lots of folks don’t stop for anybody, not even the police. You’ve seen our celebrity car chases. It took some extra kind of faith, or something, for those Angelenos to jump out there with their protest signs. Special shout out to my friend, who before her birthday, was out there marching and could’ve been dodging L.A. police in riot gear and rubber bullets. I hear you, Diva. I’m not making light of the situation, I’m just saying.
For almost a week…
Frustration and agreement with Zimmerman’s acquittal has caused great angst and anxiety on both sides of the verdict. Jurors have spoken out on CNN that they could not find Zimmerman guilty based on Florida’s self-defense law. Celebrities like Stevie Wonder have promised to boycott Florida and states with “Stand Your Ground” laws. Some are calling for a federal lawsuit. Others believe there will be a civil lawsuit. It’s far from over.
All of this…
sounds like it could be potential for the making of the next Do the Right Thing or Freedom Writers, right? Shooting, riots, marches, televised trials, and play-by-play analysis on news networks. And if not a Spike Lee Joint, at least a Lifetime “controversial verdict” movie of the week!
But I don’t know, Fam. I honestly think Trayvon’s story won’t make it to film. Here’s why.
If the L.A. riots, which resulted in 53 deaths, over 2,000 injuries, and more than $1 billion in damage, could not result in a film after 20+ years… And if the riots, which occurred over a 6-day period, in the top city where movies are made and affected most of the top filmmakers in some capacity or another, could not garner enough care for filmmakers to pull together enough resources to make it to the big screen… And if public outrage over 4 Caucasian officers being acquitted of the taped beating Rodney King, could not push an entertainment industry to action… you see where I’m going?
Fruitvale Station
The only way I think it could happen would be through independent film, similar to 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Award winner, Fruitvale Station, playing now in theatres across the nation.
Produced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and NAACP Award nominee Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year old brother in the Bay area, who was shot in the back, while laying down, by a BART police officer on New Year’s Day, 2009, with several train observers filming on cell phones. The officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, not 2nd degree murder, with 2 years sentencing, minus time served. Almost 80 people were arrested in the subsequent riots.
The only reason this film got made is that director Ryan Coogler, alumnus of USC’s film school, thought the story important enough because he was the same age as Oscar and from the same Bay area. This marks Ryans’ first feature film and it’s already being marketed for Academy buzz.
All Lives Matter
I’m not saying that Trayvon’s story is not worth telling. “Thou shall not kill”, Exodus 20:13, is still relevant, and all of our lives are valuable. Trayvon’s life shouldn’t have been lost this young in this way. And as Reverend Everett R. Bell, Los Angeles community advocate and organizer, said this weekend, neither should we keep losing thousands of young men of color in the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, etc.
Bell asked a haunting question: Are we upset that Trayvon was killed? Or are we upset that it seems Zimmerman got away with it? I think people are upset with both. But I see where Bell is going. We, especially those who are Christ followers, must be outraged when one life is lost. Let’s shut down the freeways when our youth shoot each other as well.
How are we going to get our young boys of color into adulthood alive? Not shot by the Zimmermans of the world who perceive them as burglars in the wrong neighborhood? And not shot by each other for money or a beef or hood politics?
Questions I’m wrestling with in the LaLa.
What are your thoughts?
Naima
Rev. Naima Lett, D.MIN, ABD
The Hollywood Christian®
Author of coming release Confessions of a Hollywood Christian®
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Thanks for this post, Naima. There’s much to wrestle with in this post. I’ve been wrestling with what should be the response of the church to this kind of tragedy. No easy answers here. One correction about the director of Fruitvale Station–his name is actually Ryan Coogler. He’s a down-to-earth guy. We met him at Sundance this year where he did a Q&A in one of our class sessions. He also had a backing from Forest Whittaker, who I believe was one of his mentors while he was still a student at USC.
All the questions you raised are good ones, and definitely ones for us to wrestle with in the days ahead…
Thanks so much, Avril, for your thoughts and for the catch re: Ryan. I was rushing! I heard him speak recently as well and I’m really glad he decided to move forward with this story. Thumbs up for this indie project!
I am a caucasian male. I am six feet tall, and worked with a 5’8″ black man, Birl, many years ago on a project named ISD0S. It was a blast. We were deemed “the ISD0S twins” Knew his family, visited his home, he was a “suit”, very sharp. His daughter was a track star in the same race I ran. One day we were discussing a news article regarding law enforcement. The question was, “what would you do it you heard a male voice behind you declaring ‘stop in the name of the law’ ?
Birl said “I would stop and raise my hands”. It blew me away. I have never forgotten it. A young black man, intelligent, well groomed, sharp dresser, would not turn and ask “why?”
In Florida, anybody can pack. The Zimmermans are the bottom of the barrel, and should not be a neighborhood watch member. Fear? I understand that. He is and will remain someone who fears. Everything. But, he ignored his command hierarchy and pursued. Does he hate black folk ? He fears everything, so it is hard to determine.
What is simple to determine is the loose gun-toting law in the state of Florida needs serious review and modification.
If a gun is legally put in the hands of a chickenhearted loser, the outcome is inevitable.
It is horrible for Trayvon’s death, his family, and circle of friends.
Convict the loser of terminal stupidity ? Don’t know
When the rioters burned LA after Mayor Thomas Bradley ranted on Television, I went out and bought my wife a gun. I am experienced in small arms weaponry from my military years, and never fired one of them.
It is shameful zimmerman had no respect for the weapon he carried.
I agree with the statement about standing ground on young men shooting each other. Sure Zimmerman got away with murder but look at how many young black men get away with killing each other. Look at Chicago, I lived there. New Orleans. Zimmerman is wrong but we as people of color are too for not having enough respect for our own lives.
Thanks, TJ. It takes a village, right?! Wrestling with a lot over here in the LaLa, but I think if we all really begin to value one another’s lives and “life” in general, we might have a chance at turning things around. There’s hope. :=)