Pointing out that Rachel Jeantel lost her friend Trayvon Martin, who was one of the few people who showed her love and support, Clutch magazine's Evette Dionne reprimands critics for attacking the teen's testimony during George Zimmerman's second-degree-murder trial.
The media and intraracial respectability-nazis have crucified Rachel Jeantel for daring to exist outside of the paradigm of “respectable court etiquette.” The 19-year-old witness was the last person to speak to Trayvon Martin before he was shot and killed by volunteer neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Jeantel’s endured a brutal trauma, but instead of empathizing with her, critics scrutinize her speech, courtroom demeanor and weight.
The cultural conscience forgets Jeantel lost someone she loved and held with regard. This point was reiterated by the teenager’s lawyer, Rod Vereen, in an interview with the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Thousands of hearts broke when Vereen recounted how significant Martin’s presence was in Jeantel’s life.
Vereen said:
Trayvon was one of the few guys, okay, and this is what, I mean, this ripped, tore my heart apart. She said he was one of the few guys that never made fun of me, about the way I dressed, about the way I talked, about my hair, about my complexion, you know, about my weight. And she said, so we communicated, because Rachel was, she was pretty much an introvert and so for her to be a 19-year-old young lady, who speaks three different languages. Now I hate to hear people talking, oh, she’s ignorant and she speaks three different languages, English being her third language.
Read Evette Dionne's entire blog entry at Clutch magazine.
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