Stigma

I think it is very unusual that a piece of clothing could determine how people think of you. I think in the case of Trayvon Martin that what George Zimmerman did was harsh and really uncalled for. Just because someone was wearing a hoodie they could become a potential target. The stigma is the hoodie that one might wear and I feel this very absurd. It's like gangs and their colors, you can't walk outside the wrong neighborhoods with certain colors or you could be a target. I have also been related to a stigma by the clothes I wore in high school. Wearing Baggy jeans and tall t-shirts sometimes wouldn't be the best. I would get dirty looks from others and sometimes people thought I was a threat. So yes the word stigma has been a really bad thing involved in my life growing up.

Society reacts to the stigma in a very odd way and sometimes don't react. When I was walking down the street I saw a group of people sagging their pants and wearing the same color. My first reaction is to walk by them without saying a word even if they tried to come in contact with me. I agree with what they said in the article that most people now a days try to avoid them by crossing the street or holding their valuables tightly. I think there is a foundation to the stereotypes and that some people are supportive on that and some people take offense to it. Many people make assumptions to quickly and end up making the wrong decisions for example George Zimmerman. What I am doing to repair the stigma is by improving my professionalism by being productive and studying. I am staying away from bad influences and telling some of my friends who stereotype to not do it because it's not helping our society. To build a strong community we need to end this stigma and stop stereotyping.