The shooting of Trayvon Martin last year focused attention on what’s known as “the talk” – the conversation many African American parents feel compelled to have with their kids about racial profiling.
In the days since George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting, that discussion about stereotypes has intensified.
Eighteen year-old Dashon Moore-Guidry and brother Gabriel live in Mesquite with their mother, Andrea Estrada. Dashon and his mom agreed to share their thoughts on "the talk" and the trial.
Andrea talked to her son about the Trayvon Martin case during the proceedings and after the verdict was announced. Dashon says that the main thing he got out of those discussions was to be cautious.
"It’s very easy for anyone to immediately profile me or view me in a negative manner only due to the fact that I’m African-American," he says.
Although he watches how he portrays himself, Dashon says that he still faces negative treatment from time-to-time. Andrea doesn't want her sons to feel like they have a problem.
"I don’t want [my sons] to feel bad about themselves because of the color of their skin or their racial background," she says. "I don’t want them to be judged on generalizations and stereotypes. I want them to be judged on merit."
One Mom's 'Must Reads' On Race
Andrea says if you really want to get a grip on race relations and politics in this country, there are four "must reads":
- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
- Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell