S. Samuel
With shooter George Zimmerman out on bail, SOHH recently reached out to established urban author Wahida Clark to get her take on the Trayvon Martin tragedy and hip-hop's response.
Acknowledging the notion of injustice taking place in everyday life, Clark, who has spent past years behind bars, spoke on the power hip-hop has to spark movements.
“This is nothing new, it’s just that we had to scream, kick and holler just to get an arrest,” Clark told SOHH referring to George Zimmerman. “It’s always been like this. It’s nothing new. People that’s involved in hip-hop are underestimated. The masses look at us like we’re ignorant or what not and we are business people. Street literature is just the same as hip-hop because we’re telling stories and rappers rap. They just look at us differently and when we have to step up to the plate, we step up to the plate. We got a lot of sense. I think that hip-hop or anybody big that lends their weight, attention or time to injustice, is good. People being passive to me is bad.” (SOHH)
A few days ago, Brooklyn rapper Papoose exploded over Zimmerman being allowed to post a bail bond that the public perceived as far too reasonable.
“That’s some savage sh*t,” Papoose told XXL in reaction of Zimmerman posting 10% of his $150,000 bail to become a free man until his trial next year. “The man could be free and Trayon is in his grave till eternity. Everybody celebrated when they arrested dude, but I think it was premature. This dude is an animal. The whole thing is bullsh*t.” As angry as the Martin incident makes him, Papoose is proud that he and his peers in hip-hop at least spoke up about the situation. “All of us being successful…anybody who has a voice, it’s our duty for us to provide a voice for those who don’t have a platform,” Papoose said. “I felt like it’s my duty. I felt like I’d be playing myself if I didn’t say something. I commend everybody.” (XXL Mag)
Zimmerman posted bail and exited a Florida jail last Sunday night.
George Zimmerman was released around midnight Sunday from a Florida county jail on $150,000 bail as he awaits his second-degree murder trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin. The neighborhood watch volunteer was wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans and carrying a paper bag. He walked out following another man and didn’t look over at photographers gathered outside. He then followed the man into a white BMW vehicle and drove away. Moments before, two Seminole County sheriff’s vehicles blocked access to the intake building parking lot where Zimmerman was being released. Zimmerman emerged after two public information officers confirmed the credentials of the photographers outside. (Fox News)
In court, he also used the opportunity to publicly apologize to the Martin family.
George Zimmerman surprised a Florida court today by taking the stand and apologizing to the parents of Trayvon Martin, who were sitting in the courtroom during Zimmerman’s bond hearing. “I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit older than I was,” Zimmerman said addressing Martin’s family directly. Zimmerman took the stand wearing a dark suit with his hands shackled to a belt around his waist. (ABC News)
