To say that the recent not guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial (which, at times, seemed more like a trial for victim Trayvon Martin) touched a nerve with Black America would be an understatement. I still have yet to find the words to accurately express the emotion that it evoked within me. But, it's plain to see that this gross miscarriage of justice is yet another example of just how far we have to go in so-called "post racial" America. And, as in the past, the events of that rainy night in Florida and the events that followed have also inspired the music community to address the issue. Raheem DeVaughn takes the topic head on with his contribution "Trigga Man." Enlisting Styles P for the effort, Raheem tells it like it is, calling Zimmerman (and his ilk) a "dream killer," "coward" and "murderer" throughout the course of the track. The message is further pushed by Styles' verse (though it doesn't have the same cohesiveness of Raheem's lyric). And, for added measure, the song also brings up the murder of Jordan Russell Davis, yet another 17-year-old Black male gunned down in Florida. Hopefully the recent and past tragedies concerning America's problems with race, gun violence and its myriad other issues will inspire more artists to lend their talents to the cause. More importantly, though, I hope that they will motivate people across the country -- and the world -- to take action.
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