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Opinion Florida Man Gets Away with Murder “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ERNIE F OSTER Founder/Publisher B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER Executive Editor J ERRY F OSTER Advertising Manager L ISA L OVING News Editor H ELEN S ILVIS Multimedia Editor D AVID K IDD Graphic Designer M ONICA J. F OSTER Seattle Office Coordinator J ULIE K EEFE S USAN F RIED Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. A s we approach the second anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s murder on San- ford, Fla., justice again has been shortchanged in the Sunshine State. It was incredulous that George Zimmerman, a neighbor- hood watchman and wannabe cop, was found not guilty of murder after killing the unarmed Black teenager who had visited a nearby convenience store to purchase a bag of Skittles and a can of Ari- zona Tea. Last Saturday, a hung jury could not decide whether Michael Dunn, a 47-year-old White computer pro- grammer, was guilty of murdering Jordan Davis by fatally shooting him in the chest groin. According to court testimony, Dunn pulled into the parking lot of a Jack- sonville convenience store and became involved in an argument after he accused 17-year-old Jor- dan Davis and three of his teenage friends of playing their music too loudly. Apparently, an argument erupt- ed. Dunn’s lawyer claims that Davis used vulgarity-laden lan- guage to tell his client what to do to himself. Witnesses said Dunn shouted at Davis: “You can’t talk to me that way!” Taken by themselves, the words have no special meaning. Howev- er, when uttered by a White man to a Black teen in a region that prid- ed itself as this nation’s last bastion of White supremacy, they take on a separate life of their own. Remember, it wasn’t all that long ago when Blacks were expected to stare at the ground when speaking to White folks. They were expected to say “Yes, sir” and “Yes, Ma’m,” knowing thought he saw the barrel of a shotgun protruding from a win- T HE C URRY dow of the Dodge Durango SUV. R EPORT But no such weapon was ever found and for good reason – it did not exist. Even Dunn’s girlfriend George E. said he never told her about the Curry teens having a shotgun. And what did Dunn do after he killed the Black teenager? He returned to the hotel room where that their parents, regardless of he was staying after attending his their age, would always be only son’s wedding. He acted as if addressed by their first names, he had just finished a routine day even by White children. Refusing at the office. He didn’t bother to to show what was considered notify police. Dunn acted as if proper respect to Whites often had nothing had happened. According to Rolling Stone, Dunn told detectives, ‘They didn’t follow my orders. What was I supposed to do if they wouldn’t listen?’ violent repercussions, even death. I can almost hear the words: You can’t talk to me that way! And to prove his point, Dunn But something did happen. Jor- dan Davis had his life cut short that day. The high school senior would never get the chance to He was not guilty of murdering Davis, but was guilty of attempting to murder Davis’ three friends opened fire on the Black teenagers, striking Jordan Davis twice. Even as the teens peeled rubber trying to get away, Dunn, 6’4” and 280 pounds, continued to shoot into the vehicle, firing 10 times in all. He would later say that he make his parents proud by don- ning a cap and gown and walking across a stage to receive his high school diploma. He would not get a chance to attend college or pur- sue a career. He wouldn’t even get a chance to breathe again because he wasn’t supposed to talk to a White man that way. According to Rolling Stone, Dunn told detectives, “They didn’t follow my orders. What was I sup- posed to do if they wouldn’t listen?” For starters, he wasn’t supposed to take the kid’s life. But he did. His lawyer plans to argue that Dunn was Standing his Ground. His lawyer, Corey Strolla, told Rolling Stone last year, “I don’t have to prove the threat, just that Mike Dunn believed it.” Evidently, Strolla sold the jury on that belief. They couldn’t agree that his client murdered Jordan Davis, who was shot twice. But in their contorted reasoning, they found him guilty of three counts of attempted second degree murder. In other words, he was not guilty of murdering Davis, but was guilty of attempting to murder Davis’ three friends, neither of whom were struck by a bullet. Florida State Attorney Angela Corey said she will retry Dunn on first-degree murder charges. But this is the same State Attorney who unsuccessfully prosecuted George Zimmerman for first- degree murder. If she puts on a case as poorly as she did against Zimmerman, Dunn won’t have anything additional to worry about. Still, he’ll probably die in prison. And if some of the true thugs catch up with him in the slammer, he might like how they are going to talk to him. George E. Curry, former editor- in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Associa- tion News Service. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ- ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2014 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To see The Skanner News on your smart phone go to theskannermobile.com or scan this QR code with your app. • • • • • • • • Local news Opinions Jobs, Bids Sports Entertainment Music reviews Bulletin board RSS feeds Black History: Needed Now More than Ever E ver since the 2009 election of Barack Obama as Ameri- ca’s first Black president and the 100th anniversary of the National Urban League in 2010, the perennial debate about the need for Black History Month has intensified. Some have questioned the need for a special month to recognize the many unknown and unsung achievements of African Americans. With Obama as presi- dent, the logic goes, we have now achieved Dr. King’s dream of a non-racial America where every- one is judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. I wish it were so. Last year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the repeal of the poll tax. But unfortu- nately, the suppression of voting rights and other instances of racial discrimination remain. All one needs to do is look at the glaring disparities between Blacks and Whites in income, employment, incarceration rates, educational achievement and health status to see that race still matters in Amer- ica. Income inequality and equal opportunity are still part of the unfinished business of American democracy. In 1926, after centuries of T O B E E QUAL Marc Morial Blacks being excluded, not only from the mainstream of American life, but also from the textbooks in our schools, African American historian Carter G. Woodson did a service to all Americans when he created Negro History Week, is a goal that America is still strug- gling to achieve. In fact, legislatures in a number of states, including New York, Illi- nois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have passed laws mandat- ing or encouraging teachers to broaden their history courses to include more ethnic, racial and gender diversity. That is why we still recognize March as Women’s History Month, May as Jewish American History Month, Sep- tember 15 to October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month and Feb- ruary as Black History Month. ‘There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering’ Lonnie Bunch, founding director, National Museum of African American History and Culture which was expanded to Black His- tory Month in 1976. Woodson’s vision was one of unity and inclu- sion. He said, “What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race, hate and religious prejudice.” That Page 2 The Portland and Seattle Skanner February 19, 2014 These celebrations serve a dual purpose: first to build self-esteem among historically oppressed peo- ple, and second to remind all Americans that in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, our diversity is our greatest strength. Black history is American histo- ry. While the story and achievements of African Ameri- cans are especially celebrated this month, the contributions we have made and the struggles we still face deserve recognition every day of the year. Next year, for the first time, Black History will enter the mainstream when the Smithson- ian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opens on the National Mall in Washington. The Museum describes itself as “a place of meaning, of memory, of reflection, of laughter, and of hope. It should be a beacon that reminds us of what we were; what challenges we still face; and point us towards what we can become.” As we honor those who have made history, we must also recog- nize that we are history in the making. Through our work, com- mitment to equality and civic engagement, we can and we must, in the words of President Obama, continue to “right the wrongs of history and make our world anew.” Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
