Geraldo Rivera came under fire late last week when he proclaimed that unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin's hoodie was as much to blame for his death as was the man who shot and killed him. Even his own son said he was "ashamed" of those comments, in which Geraldo also remarked, "If he didn't have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood-watch guy wouldn't have responded in that violent and aggressive way" and, "If you dress like a hoodlum, eventually some schmuck is going to take you at your word."
Gabriel Rivera wasn't the only one to recognize how absurd it would be to place the burden on young black men to avoid all clothing associated with other young black men in order to keep themselves safe from the prejudice of others (and its life-threatening consequences). On Melissa Harris-Perry's MSNBC show this weekend, she gave a sarcastic take on Rivera's advice:
From the Huffington Post:
On Harris-Perry's list of wardrobe no-nos for young black men: red and blue because they could be mistaken for gang colors ("try mauve, turquoise, or even salmon if you're daring"); and saggy pants, which are liable to fines in some parts of Louisiana, Georgia and Florida ("if the cops don't get you, your parents are sure to get mad for costing them all that money").
Last but not least on the list, she said, were those "pesky hoodies." She replayed a clip of Rivera's comments from Friday.
"Oh clearly, Geraldo knows of what he speaks," she mocked. "Did you see that sharp suit? Although I would caution him on those shades of blue I saw. Hoodies are an absolute no."
Read more at the Huffington Post.