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Florida Group Starts a “Hoodie Halloween” Campaign that Includes Trayvon’s Uncle (353 hits)

A group in Florida is running a campaign that is designed to get people to consider how we can all be affected by racial stereotypes. The group claims that after the death of Trayvon Martin, we should think for a second about how a black man looks in a hoodie, as opposed to a white one.

“I’m a black man, are you afraid of me now?” The group asks in a YouTube video designed to promote the campaign.

“The hoodie is this ubiquitous piece of clothing that everyone wears but when black people wear it, it’s interpreted as a symbol of criminal activity,” said Gauis Benbow, one of the creators of the campaign.

Benbow and Rochelle Oliver are the originators of the campaign, and expect that Halloween would be a great time to get people to think about this matter. They are asking their supporters to wear hoodies to create awareness.

“This isn’t about being pro-Trayvon. It’s about being anti-stereotyping,” Oliver said. “Seeing someone wearing a hoodie on Halloween will hopefully allow people to examine what they are feeling if they are scared or why they may be judging the person as a threat.”

Ronald Fulton, Trayvon’s uncle, makes a short appearance in the film as well. He is in a wheelchair and says that there are stereotypes that come along with that.

“People think that because I’m in a wheelchair that I’m stupid or slow but when you get to know me, you’ll realize how wrong that is,” said Fulton. “I think this can lead to constructive dialogue about the issues surrounding my nephew’s death.”