USA: Racism in reverse

In the United States, many protest against the acquittal of the Hispanic killer of 17-year-old black teenager Trayvon Martin. Pravda.Ru asked Deputy Director of the Institute of the USA and Canada, Valery Garbuzov, to share his views on the problem. 

Photo: AP photo

"In the United States, there is phenomenon called "racism in reverse." Many used to believe that racism came from the white population against black Americans. But during the 1960s, black Americans were gradually winning their political, economic and civil rights. Today they have turned into quite a powerful social force. It is no surprise that black people appear in the political elite of the United States - they have a black president in the White House. Many blacks perceive the court's ruling to acquit Zimmerman as a kind of injustice - a kind of a protest with racial overtones.

"One should bear in mind the fact that all non-white population of the U.S. has become very active during the recent years. This manifests primarily during elections, especially presidential ones. Obama's election in 2008 and the last presidential election indicate that the part of the American electorate that was traditionally called the sleeping electorate, woke up and started to express their opinions on various issues, especially those related to them personally and perceived by them as an infringement of their own identity.

"This verdict sparked a social explosion and is seen as unfair. If the victim and the killer would have changed roles or skin color, the story would have been different - this is the way it is perceived by the general public. People question the decision of the jury and claim that the jury was guided by racial prejudice. I see the reaction of black Americans to the verdict precisely proceeding from these positions.

"One should also pay attention to the members of the jury. Perhaps, they also provoke such a reaction. If most of the jury were white citizens, such a reaction from blacks was predictable. A few years ago there was a similar case, a crime of this type, and the white jury justified the white offender, which also led to a surge of discontent."

Pravda.Ru