Applewhite: Black males and the George Zimmerman verdict

A couple of months ago, an incident happened in my neighborhood in Harlem that reminds me of the encounter that led to the killing of Trayvon Martin.

It was after 3 a.m. and two men -- one black, one white -- entered an apartment building at the same time. The black man, in his 20s, was stopped in the lobby by the white man and asked whether he was a resident.

I've since heard versions of the story told by both men and by the black man's mother. The black man said he was a resident and went to his apartment. However, the white resident followed him upstairs and confronted him again about whether he belonged in the building.

Words were exchanged, but the white man was finally satisfied. For him, the incident ended at that moment. However, the black resident said the incident and others like it stay with him for a long time.

And that's what the George Zimmerman verdict represents for countless black men and teens like Martin -- that we are outsiders in our own communities, oftentimes in places where we grew up. The Zimmerman verdict represents feelings of being an enemy, an ominous threat, to someone or something, a bogey man who must be dealt with at all costs.

In New York City, black men contend with this outsider label and experience racial profiling daily -- with the police, in stores, while hailing taxicabs. But now there is an added source for our outrage.

The Zimmerman verdict has shown us that this sort of affront to black men and boys can occur not only from within our own communities, but from our own neighbors. The verdict has given the world permission to assault black men with no consequence. For many, this is truly disturbing. I believe this outrage is what's fueling post-trial protests in cities nationwide.

As New Yorkers, we have the responsibility to create the city we love. We can do it by being intolerant of injustice -- whether from racial profiling or from those who believe it's their job to decide who belongs in a building.

New York City belongs to all of us, and we must ensure that we all feel safe and respected, whether black, white, Asian or Latino. If we don't, we will create a city where we will have more Sean Bells, Amadou Diallos and Trayvon Martins.

Sheldon Applewhite is an assistant professor of sociology at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He tweets as @DrSApplewhite.