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By Nicole Akoukou ThompsonFirst Posted: Oct 24, 2013 04:25 PM EDT

George Zimmerman, the man who is best known for his part in the fatal shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, is having his ethnic identity questioned, as many immediately classified him as "white" before and during his trial, and some are now referring to him as "white Hispanic."

Zimmerman's brother, during an interview with NPR , stated that his brother's picture was often lightened, so he could visibly appear to have white skin, done so that he'd seem like a "mythological racist monster," instead of "a Hispanic non-racist person."

CNN was the first media outlet to use the term "white Hispanic" to describe Zimmerman, hoping to further define Latino ethnicity. The term went under fire, the Latino Rebels rejected it, as well as conservative news site Breitbart, that stated:

"By labeling Zimmerman a "white Hispanic," they serve their obvious political bias, but also they cynically serve their financial interests by keeping the race angle as part of the story's subtext."

Huffington Post stated that mediadidn'tcoin the phrase, however, it usually isn't meant to describe people like Zimmerman, who is according to Teresa Puente, has a medium brown complexion. "White Hispanic" is also meant to describe people who have European blood, but are Latin American or celebrate the heritage. Within the context of social convention, white refers to skin color.

Zimmerman's mother was born in Peru and has black ancestry, which includes her Afro-Peruvian grandfather. His father is white, and of German descent, and has had a long career in the military. Zimmerman's voter registration lists him as Hispanic. But, contingent on who you're speaking to, Zimmerman could be described as white, Hispanic, or "white Hispanic."

But, the term "white Hispanic" could be oddly appropriate, however. The natural counterpart to the phrase "Afro-Latino;" both are terms that capture an individual who lives on two sides of a coin, someone who could struggle with two competing identities because of mixed background or skin tone. The settle benefit of being "white Hispanic" as opposed to "Afro-Latino," however, is the additional privilege. "White Hispanic" makes one remember the concept of "passing," which permits one to take advantage of opportunities granted to them, because of, generally, skin color. But, sometimes, "passing" isn't simply about skin tone, it's about narrative. Zimmerman could easily wield stories about his father, the German military soldier, when he needed it access to the other side, just as easily as he could utilize being Hispanic to appear less guilty, because by being brown, himself, he could negate claims that he's racist.

The general fact, however, is that Zimmerman is mixed raced, and being that Latino is a multiracial identify, he qualifies.

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George Zimmerman Ethnicity: Is he White, Latino or 'White ...

Dear older readers,

You might look at Florida and think, what a lovely place to retire! Maybe I'll buy a condo there and spend my time among palm trees, mingling with fellow Jews... Play shuffleboard, enjoy early bird specials (steak AND shrimp for $12.95! You can't go wrong!), maybe even go to the beach now and then (must remember to always wear sunscreen!)... And then the kids can visit every winter, and it would be ever so terrific!

Here is our advice for you, older Jews. If you do move to Florida, STAY CLOSE TO THE COAST. Because once you venture inland, that idyllic paradise you picture will soon be lost.

Most of Florida is not exactly of your postcard variety. Swamps, alligators, and, how should we put it... people missing many front teeth. And, apparently, some of the most fucked-up laws anywhere.

Yes, somehow in Florida, a man can kill another in cold blood and get away with it. A man can call it self-defense, even though there is clear evidence that it's not the case. A man can roam free while his victim rots in the ground.

And no, don't worry, despite the possibly Jewy last name, George Zimmerman isn't Jewish. Hispanic and Catholic, if you care. He lives inland, after all. No Jews in Florida's inland.

Remember that, older readers.

Verdict: Not a Jew.

April 12, 2012

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Jew or Not Jew: George Zimmerman

The Trayvon Martin case was built on a fraud, with a key witness being swapped out with an imposter when the real witness wouldnt testify, George Zimmerman said in a lawsuit Wednesday.

The lawsuit says Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend, a vivacious 16-year-old named Brittany Diamond Eugene, when Zimmerman killed him on Feb. 26, 2012. At trial, prosecutors produced the plump, slow-spoken 18-year-old Rachel Jeantel as the girl who had crucial insight into his final moments by being on the phone with him.

The lawsuit says Eugene refused to provide the version of events used to build a narrative of racism at trial, so Jeantel, who reads at a fourth-grade level, was pressured into pretending to be Diamond.

The lawsuit seeks $100 million and names both young women as defendants, plus Martins parents, who it says were well aware of the swap.

Zimmermans lawyer filed the lawsuit in state court in Florida and it also targets the state of Florida and its prosecutors, who allegedly initially falsely told the defense that Martins cellphone was too damaged to extract its data, when it actually contained evidence damaging to their case. That includes not only evidence of the witness swap, but also texts showing Martin previously discussing gun sales and bragging of beating up a snitch and saying, He aint bleed nuff 4 me, only his nosez. Prosecutors also ran out the clock by repeatedly ignoring the defenses entitlement to exculpatory evidence, the suit says.

It additionally names Benjamin Crump, the civil attorney for Martins parents, who rode the case to fame and wrote a book about genocide of colored people despite allegedly playing a key role in a hoax.

The suit says:

Each and every one of them instituted, ordered, commanded, conspired, and covered up the illegal substitution of Defendant Eugene, a legitimate phone witness to the days, hours and minutes before the death of Trayvon Martin with Defendant Jeantel, an imposter and fake witness, who told a made to order false storyline to prosecutors in order to cause Zimmerman to be arrested, tried, and convicted for second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in a case that had already been investigated and closed by the Sanford, Florida police department, and after they had already exonerated Zimmerman, having concluded Zimmerman had acted in self-defense with no probable cause for arrest based on eye-witness testimony, physical evidence, and 911 audio recordings.

Rachel Jeantel, who testified in the Trayvon Martin case, is pictured along with a comparison of her signature with that on a letter she says she signed. (Joel Gilbert/The Trayvon Hoax book)

Trayvon Martins alleged actual girlfriend Brittany Diamond Eugene is pictured. (Photo from The Trayvon Hoax book)

In the weeks after Zimmerman shot Martin, the death was met with little outcry because neighbor Jonathan Good told police he saw Martinmercilessly pummeling Zimmerman in his backyard. (RELATED: Jesse Jackson says Trayvon Martin murdered and martyred)

That changed March 19, 2012, when Crump recorded an audio interview in which Martins 16-year old girlfriend, Diamond, provided a contradictory tale based on her being on the phone with him at the time of the incident. The tape precipitated the arrest of Zimmerman on April 11, 2012.

Phone records show Eugene and Martinspent hours on the phone with each other on a daily basis and exchanged loving and sexual texts, the lawsuit says.

After the shooting, Martins girlfriend came to the home of Martins mother, Sybrina Fulton, and provided a short letter memorializing her knowledge as the person on the phone at the time of his death. The letter was signed Diamond Eugene. Fulton did not tell prosecutors or the defense about the letter for nearly a year.

The lawsuit says Crump pressured Eugene to provide the audio statement that supported a narrative of racism, but that she refused to do the same in court.

Prosecutors initially had no contact with Eugene except through Fulton, but on April 2, 2012, they insisted on meeting her, so Fulton led them to her residence, it says. They knocked on the door and were referred to a different house, where Jeantel answered and claimed to be Diamond Eugene.

Defendant Eugene could in no way be mistaken for Defendant Jeantel, who was 2 years older, 5 inches taller, and about 120 pounds heavier than Defendant Eugene. Defendant Fulton was alarmed and immediately called Defendant Eugene, who tweeted at about that same time at 6:27 PM Trayvon Martin Mom just called me and at 6:32 PM She thought I was Trayvon Girlfriend, Asking Me Hella Questions,' the lawsuit said, citing phone records and social media records.

Nevertheless, Fulton went back inside and sat next to Jeantel as she was interviewed, without telling prosecutors what she knew, that Defendant Jeantel was not Defendant Eugene, that Defendant Jeantel was not Trayvons girlfriend, that Defendant Jeantel was not the girl she had met with in her home on March 19, had spoken with 7 times, had texted with some 30 times, had driven back to her home at 2648 Flamingo Drive on March 19, it continued.

Jeantel was an 18-year-old ninth grader who read at a fourth-grade level, it says.

Martins parents both lied repeatedly to cover up the swap, the lawsuit says.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda ignored the repeated false statements by Defendant Jeantel that he both knew and should have known to be false, including those which contradicted Defendant Eugenes phone records he had already obtained, and including Defendant Jeantels statement that she was 18, even though Defendant de la Rionda knew from Defendant Crumps public statements that Defendant Eugene was 16, it said, adding:

Almost every time Defendant Jeantel made a statement he knew to be false, Defendant de la Rionda asked the question again and again in different ways until Defendant Jeantels answer fit his narrative. By the end of the interview, Defendant Jeantel was emotionally exhausted and feeling guilty from her lying and told Defendant de la Rionda six times, almost shouting I feel guilty and real guilty. When asked why she felt real guilty, Defendant Jeantel then stated twice, shouting the second time I aint know about it!

To explain the name on the letter and the changing age of the girlfriend, Jeantel testified that she initially gave a fake name and fake age and lied about why she wasnt at Martinsfuneral.

The difference in the voices is stark between the initial call Crump released and the testimony provided by Jeantel, who spoke in a deep, slow mumble.

Rachel Jeantel, who said she was on the phone with Trayvon Martin, is pictured. (Screenshot from The Trayvon Hoax)

The lawsuit is based on the investigative work in a book and movie called the The Trayvon Hoax by Joel Gilbert, a Hollywood director who has made entertainment films as well as conspiratorial conservative films.

The Trayvon Hoax, however, attributes its conclusions almost entirely to specific contents of cellphone data related to the criminal case, which Gilbert obtained under Floridas expansive open-records law, as well as copious social media postings by the young people involved.

Martins dad Tracy Martin who fathered six children with five women and spent time in prison for trafficking $1 million in cocaine admitted to police that the cries of help on a 911 call came from Zimmerman, not his son, but later changed his story, the suit says.

Crump issued a statement on behalf of himself and the parents. I have every confidence that this unfounded and reckless lawsuit will be revealed for what it is another failed attempt to defend the indefensible and a shameless attempt to profit off the lives and grief of others, he said.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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Central Witness In Trayvon Martin Trial Was Imposter, George ...

Read Slates complete coverage of theTrayvon Martin case.

The story of Trayvon Martins death is heartbreaking. If you have missed the facts: The 17-year-old, who is black, was walking to a friends home in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., when a neighborhood-watch volunteer*, 28-year-old George Zimmerman, spotted him. Zimmerman, whose father says identifies as Hispanic,called the cops to report a suspicious person. They told him not to follow. They always get away, Zimmerman told dispatch in a 911 call released Friday, and he kept tracking Martin. Zimmerman had a gun. Martin was carrying only an ice tea and the Skittles hed just bought at the store. The two had a struggle that no one saw. Hearing shots, neighbors called 911. In one call thats hard to listen to, a woman anxiously says she can hear someone calling for help while in the background, a terrified, wailing voice pleads, No! No!

Zimmerman shot and killed Martin, but he said he did so in self-defense. The shocker of this case so far is that the Sanford police say they dont have enough evidence to dispute Zimmermans claim and arrest him. Martins mother told the Today show Monday morning that her son was killed because of the color of his skin, and his parents want the FBI to investigate. With these facts, you can see why. UPDATE, March 20, 2012: On Monday evening, the Justice Department announced it will investigate Martins killing.

How did we get to a place where Zimmermans claim of self-defense, which seems barely plausible, could prevent his arrest? The answer starts with the Stand Your Ground law that Florida passed in 2005. The idea was to give people who think they are being threatened the right to use force: They can protect themselves without first trying to retreat. The history behind that controversial idea is actually about gender, not race. It involves the intersection between the fight against domestic violence and the agenda of the National Rifle Association.

Lets back up, with the help of Jeannie Suk, a Harvard law professor who wrote an article in 2008 that Ill rely on for the next few paragraphs. In the 17th century, English common law held that people whose lives were threatened in a public place could use deadly force to defend themselves only after retreating as far as possible. It was up to the king and his men to keep the peace, and everyone else was supposed to stand aside. There was only one exception: If someone broke into your house, you could kill him without retreating.

This is called the Castle Doctrine, after the old saying that a mans house is his castle. It makes intuitive sensea limited exception to the duty to retreat that leaves the rule in place. But when the Castle Doctrine made its way to America, Suk says, some courts expanded it. Now someone under attack could repel force by force if he was attacked in a place where he has a right to be. Thats how the Supreme Court put it in 1895. This is amazingly called the true man doctrine, from a line in an 1876 case: A true man, who is without fault, is not obliged to fly from an assailant, who by violence or surprise, maliciously seeks to take his life or do him enormous bodily harm.

Not all the states adopted the true man doctrine. And 100 years later, courts and legislatures faced a new problem: What to do with women who said they were victims of domestic violence and had killed their husbands to save themselves? Did you have a right not to retreat if the person coming after you lived under the same roof? At first, the answer was no, to the fury of feminists. Then in 1999, the Florida Supreme Court said a woman who shot and killed her husband during a violent fight at home could successfully call on the Castle Doctrine to argue self-defense. It is now widely recognized that domestic violence attacks are often repeated over time, and escape from the home is rarely possible without the threat of great personal violence or death, the court wrote.

Suk calls this revision of the true-man rule to encompass domestic violence transformative, and you can see why. The new rules made for more shooting and less retreating. And they set the stage for Florida to ditch the duty to retreat entirely, which the legislature did in passing the nations first Stand Your Ground law in 2005.

Floridas new law did three things: It further loosened the restrictions on using deadly force at home. It scrapped the duty to retreat in public places. And it gave people who use self-defense civil and criminal immunity. Pushing for these changes, NRA President Marion Hammer focused on women and their need to protect themselves. You cant expect a victim to wait and ask, Excuse me, Mr. Criminal, are you going to rape me and kill me, or are you just going to beat me up and steal my television? she said.

Prosecutors opposed the Stand Your Ground law, and they still complain about it. It is an abomination, former Broward County Prosecutor David Frankel told the Sun Sentinel in January. The ultimate intent might be good, but in practice, people take the opportunity to shoot first and say later they had a justification. It almost gives them a free pass to shoot. The quote comes from a story about a former sheriffs deputy, Maury Hernandez, who killed an unarmed homeless man in a Haagen-Dazs shop on a Saturday afternoon. Hernandez, who was with his children, said the man aggressively asked for money and then tried to assault him. Witnesses said Hernandez warned the man several times before taking out his gun and firing multiple times. The police said they wouldnt charge Hernandez for the shooting because he claimed he was under attack.

Its that decision not to press charges that makes Stand Your Ground laws, which a bunch of other states have adopted, a crazy departure from the past. Its one thing to raise self-defense at trial. Its another to have what the Florida Supreme Court calls true immunity. True immunity, the court said, means a trial judge can dismiss a prosecution, based on a Stand Your Ground assertion, before trial begins.

At least theres supposed to be a hearing before that happens, at which the defendant has the burden of proof. And yet as the Hernandez and Martins case shows, Stand Your Ground laws often lead prosecutors to decide against so much as bringing charges. According to the Sun Sentinel, In case after case during the past six years, Floridians who shot and killed unarmed opponents have not been prosecuted.

Now the death of Trayvon Martin is the latest in that line. Maybe this is the kind of case that is so sad and so tinged with racism that Florida will think hard about the very scary place where their self-defense laws have taken them. Maybe.

Read Slates complete coverage of the Trayvon Martin case.

*Correction, March 20, 2012: This article originally stated that George Zimmerman is white, but his father says he identifies as Hispanic.

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Why George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martins killer, hasnt been ...

There are some events and dates in life that you will never forget.

Dates that leave a long-lasting mark on ones psyche, remembering where you were, how the space felt, the emotions you had and the thoughts that immediately entered your mind.

When the news broke that George Floyd was killed by officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I was in the living room having just finished a Zoom meeting. It was a quiet, warm day, the sun was out, I was a little hungry, but I felt at ease. Then my phone started ringing.

It was May 25, 2020.

I would join millions of people across the country the next day who would watch the now infamous video taken by a fearless, teenage onlooker we would later find out was Darnella Frazier and be shaken once again by the myriad of emotions that have come over the years due to police violence taking the lives of unarmed, Black and brown people.

Summer started early last year.

The City of Philadelphias Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disability Services (DBHIDS) Engaging Males of Color (EMOC) initiative, an effort that I lead for the Department, was and is uniquely designed to address some of the challenges that would follow over the course of this past year.

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Since conversations and data collection began in 2013 by then DBHIDS Commissioner, Dr. Arthur C. Evans Jr., and our official launch in 2014 when I was brought onboard, we have worked to promote mental health and wellness for men and boys of color in Philadelphia. We seek to increase access and awareness to behavioral health services, build health literacy and reduce the stigma associated with mental health. We understand the vast disparities when it comes to the social determinants of health for this population and build strategic partnerships to assist in connecting folks to resources.

In perhaps a twist of fate here, EMOC, though initially modeled somewhat after then-President Barack Obamas My Brothers Keeper initiative, is about as old as the Black Lives Matter movement, which started as a hashtag after George Zimmerman, in 2013, was acquitted in the murder of Trayvon Martin.

We Breathe, We Live: Brotherly Love Protest Stories is part of EMOCs contribution to this ongoing dialogue about race and policing in this country.

Our team has served on panels and shared thoughts in meetings and conferences since May 2020, however it is the value of storytelling, brought on by our special partners in the nonprofit, First Person Arts (FPA), that became the catalyst for this film project. FPA amplifies stories of everyday Philadelphians in dynamic productions and we began a series several years ago, Beyond Expectations, to showcase the innermost feelings and ideas that males of color have and navigate through each day, covering a range of subject areas and issues.

We Breathe, We Live is a continuation of that work.

We identified seven men of various backgrounds, ages and experiences to share their story, as we prepare for the one-year anniversary of this infamous murder and subsequent summer of protests. Where were they? How did they feel? What was it like to be on the ground in the marches? How has this trauma affected them and/or their loved ones? The director of the film, Glenn Holsten, brought a brave and innovative vision to catalyze and link the ideas presented in the film.

These rich stories, plus the inclusion of spoken word poetry and conversations with our DBHIDS EMOC colleagues, give life to a moment that was a peak example of dehumanization.

This film has further resonance since we find ourselves in Mental Health Awareness Month; additionally seen in the relief of millions now that Chauvin has been convicted of his charges.

We hope on Monday, May 24, at 9 p.m. on WHYY-TV (and live on http://www.whyy.org) that communities will gather to watch this film and see these men, in a state of vulnerability, not as the stereotype, but as the humans that they are.

Which is maybe all that George Floyd wanted.

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For more information about EMOC, please contact Gabriel Bryant at Gabriel.bryant@phila.gov, follow EMOC on twitter @emocphilly, and for additional resources and supports, go to http://www.dbhids.org/boost.

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'We Breathe, We Live: Brotherly Love Protest Stories' part of ongoing dialogue about race and policing in US - Generocity