During the time period of 1877-1954 the Jim Crow Laws were enforced and became the inevitable for African Americans to obey by those rules and be able to enforce it into their children. The Jim Crow Laws was an agreement set between White Americans and their fellow comrades to instill the concept of being separate but equal, even though African American’s death was the abashing punishment for minor transactions that White Americans tend to get away with. The acrid actions that took place blistered African Americans, and in the same breathe adulterated the “justice” system. During this era in time racism was almost mandatory to White Americans in order to strengthen mental stability and egos. In the present day, summer 2013, the idea of Jim Crow laws are not foreign within the same “justice” system.
On February 26, 2012 African American Trayvon Benjamin Martin was slaughtered of his dignity and then life by White Hispanic George Zimmerman. Throughout the birth of the accusations from social media the “George Zimmerman Mindset” was incorporated into the thought process of what may have happened on the night of February 26,2012. The mindset that was established was being able to identify the person who has the problem and who is the problem. In this situation, Trayvon Martin was characterized as the problem and George Zimmerman as who has problems. Being the problem was not easily fixed ,but having problems can easily get solved. In a TIMES article “ The Zimmerman Mind-Set. Why black men are the permanent undercaste.” by Michelle Alexander exemplifies the issues. The Zimmerman mindset specifies the thought or act of an African American kid being completely innocent is absurd.
Based on the Article George Zimmerman, the White Hispanic who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, had accurate reasons to execute him because of the possibility of self defense. In the article it states “All the rationalizations for routinely treating young black men as problems and up to no good were stripped away.” Using a bias of all African Americans rather “black men” in particular as being “thugs” and/or “gangsters” was essential to the thought process of George Zimmerman and was used as a primary excuse of the death of a young black unarmed teenager. African Americans are continuously given the blame for situations White Americans can not profess. The statement was perceived as plausible because of the assumptions that are contorted into facts about overly populated areas that have predominantly African Americans.

In most African American Communities fathers and/or mothers raise their sons to protect themselves from the cops by being as unsuspicious as possible. The usual commands that are given by parents to their young is to not speak unless spoken to and keep both hands visual so police will not shoot. In a recent Times article “ The Talk. How parents raising black boys try to keep their sons safe.” by Jeannine Amber it states “ When confronted by violent gangs or overzealous law enforcement, we knew these rules or engagement might help keep our sons safe. But in George Zimmerman we saw a new danger, one that seemed utterly lawless.” Being able to properly respond to police officials was second nature because of the common interactions, but the problem becomes when loopholes are clearly evident for police officials to take advantage without being reprimanded.

Backtracking to the Jim Crow Laws they become visual once again within the common era of 2012-2013. Mothers and Fathers, until this day, have to instill into their children how to “respect” police officials who continue to racially profile them. During the prior Jim Crow Era death was the punishment of committing minor mistakes that are easily overlooked by others. Trayvon Martin was killed for not committing any crimes or mistakes, but simply walking home in a predominantly white neighborhood. Being separate but equal plays a huge part within this specific scenario because of the timing, place of murder, and the characters who had lead roles. As stated within the previous article “ Police are trained to ascertain risk, yet studies have shown they are likely to shoot at an African American suspect faster than at a white one.” The justice system was designed to protect their recipients and only their recipients, so being unprotected is not foreign as far as Trayvon Martin being unarmed and the verdict of his case being acquitted. Trayvon Martin was not served justice within this Jim Crow justice system that was provided for him. Tying everything together, as George Zimmerman bluntly stated “They always get away with it.”