This is all too familiar

The state is Florida. The setting is a murder trial. The two people at the center of the case include an older white man and a younger black teenager. One is alive, while the other is dead. The defendant claims he fired his weapon in self-defense.

Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” was in effect once again, under which use of deadly force is justified if an individual has reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm.

These details are all too reminiscent of the Trayvon Martin trial in July 2013. However, while the major themes are the same, the trial that is making headlines now is a totally different case.

Last Sunday would have been Jordan Davis’ 19th birthday. Instead of celebrating his life, his family has begun waiting to find out as to whether his killer will get a retrial for his murder.

In November 2012, Michael Dunn shot into a vehicle in which Davis and his friends were riding, after a confrontation at a gas station about the teens’ loud music. Dunn fired 10 rounds into the car, claiming that he saw a weapon in the boys’ car.

No weapon was found.

Last week, Dunn was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder and a gun charge, but a mistrial was declared on his first-degree murder charge.

The shootings of both Martin and Davis bring up numerous questions and concerns about the stereotypes of black males in our society.

Let’s say Davis was in the wrong. Maybe he did incite a confrontation with Dunn. Should a 17-year-old black male always hold his tongue around a white male?

Dunn testified to not being a fan of the music that was coming out of the car, describing it as “rap crap.” Because Jordan Davis and his friends were listening to urban music, should they have been perceived as troublemakers?

Because Trayvon Martin was a black male walking throughout an affluent gated community, should he have been perceived as an outsider?

If Davis and Martin were both young black males, would the outcomes of their situations be the same?

The aftermath of the murders of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis are just a few of their kind. These cases are some of the only ones that have been heavily publicized by the media.

As a society, we need to begin to stop associating negative connotations to people because of their race. It should not be a crime to live in your own skin and be yourself.

As a black male attending one of the most prestigious universities in the country, on a daily basis I am confronted with several different challenges for being myself. A few years ago, the same thing could have happened to me that happened to Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin.

I think that dialogues on race in this country should continue to take place. It may seem like a minor problem until we see another news story about a black child dying even before they have a chance to attend college.