Melissa Harris Perry Says The United States Is No Country For Young Black Men

MSNBC host and college Professor Melissa Harris Perry is speaking out in response to the recurring violence committed against young black men like Trayvon Martin and the more recent incident with teenager Jordan Davis, both of which resulted in the deaths of the two youngsters at the hands of non-black adult men claiming to have felt “threatened,” with little to substantiate those claims.

Harris Perry recently penned an open letter regarding this disturbing trend that continues to plague the African-American community. Here’s an excerpt from her letter:

via The Grio

With the killing of Jordan Davis, again, we feel that sense–for those of us who know and love them–that this is no country for young black men.

The police acted the very next day. A man was arrested, charged, and is in custody, being held without bond. So this–the alleged shooting of Jordan Russell Davis by Michael David Dunn, is not that–the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.

But in so many other aspects of this case, the parallels are undeniable–another 17-year old African-American boy, shot and killed.

The alleged assailant, an older white man, said he felt threatened–although the boy he is accused of shooting was reportedly unarmed. Another claim of self-defense to justify the killing, and in a “Stand Your Ground” state. Another pair of grieving parents, losing a child and seeking justice.

And again, that sense–for those of us who know and love them–that this is no country for young black men.

These tragic cases that have left two young African-American men dead for no other apparent reason than that they were perceived as threatening by much older, adult men who are not law enforcement are unacceptable and poorly justified. Do you agree with Melissa Harris-Perry’s statement?

You can read the entire open letter on her blog here.

Photo Credit: MSNBC