Mychal Denzel Smith: We Live in a ‘Racist Society’

Mychal Denzel Smith: We Live in a ‘Racist Society’

Mychal Denzel Smith: We Live in a ‘Racist Society’

Just by virtue of being born black in America, young men like Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin face violence daily.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

The senseless murders of Florida teenagers Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin speak to the daily realities of being black in America. Appearing on Melissa Harris-Perry alongside professors William Jelani Cobb and Pedro Noguera, Nation writer Mychal Denzel Smith discussed the burden of violence that young black men face. "I walk around in this young, black male body and I understand that it causes fear, it causes a reaction, it causes police to look at me more carefully. It could kill me."
Dustin Christensen

Thank you for reading The Nation!

We hope you enjoyed the story you just read, just one of the many incisive, deeply-reported articles we publish daily. Now more than ever, we need fearless journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media.

Throughout this critical election year and a time of media austerity and renewed campus activism and rising labor organizing, independent journalism that gets to the heart of the matter is more critical than ever before. Donate right now and help us hold the powerful accountable, shine a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug, and build a more just and equitable future.

For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth, justice, and moral clarity. As a reader-supported publication, we are not beholden to the whims of advertisers or a corporate owner. But it does take financial resources to report on stories that may take weeks or months to properly investigate, thoroughly edit and fact-check articles, and get our stories into the hands of readers.

Donate today and stand with us for a better future. Thank you for being a supporter of independent journalism.

Thank you for your generosity.

Ad Policy
x