The Aunt Jemimah Post

Rachel Jeantel  gives her testimony to the prosecution during George Zimmerman’s trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Jacob Langston, Pool)  (Credit: AP)

Just before Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, an established fact by Zimmerman himself, Rachel Jeantel and Trayvon were talking on the phone. It would be his last conversation with a friend and Rachel, destined to be a reluctant witness to his final thoughts.

For two grueling days (26 and 27 of June) Miss Rachel dutifully appears in court strong and well-groomed, ready to endure our country’s adversarial system. And ultimately surprises a whole bunch of people, mostly those white folks who were taken aback by a black-woman’s basic honesty and relentless courage in the face of adversity, which, of course, is our forte.

But wait; aren’t we suppose to be strong and confident on the witness stand regardless of our cultural background? Is that not what the law requires of us in court?

And aren’t the rest of us suppose to view all witnesses with objectivity and respect? But some didn’t. And herein lies the purpose of this little post.

Instead, wild accusations and debasing judgments abound on the media soon  thereafter, focusing on Rachel’s speech, her physicality, her seemingly lack of social skills and even her choice of dress (a pair of jeans…pleaze!).  And these very bad judgments were spoken by guest commentators no less, usually trial attorneys or journalists who are highly trained to be truthful and objective, thus presumed professionals.  But these weren’t.

Yet, such accusers could not say Miss Rachel did not stick to her original story, nor was she (or her testimony) usurped by the skilled, adversarial questioning of the defense attorney who was just doing his job. Yet, so was Miss Rachel, also doing her job–much to their surprise! And it is this that threw these commentators into a frenzy, whose only response was to attack a young woman, barely out of her teens, rather than do their job and report the truth of what she said.

Thankfully here are four wonderful articles, hopefully sitting the record straight by some very savvy women: A heartfelt apology from the world titled, “A Letter to Rachel Jeantel, The Prosecution’s Key Witness in the George Zimmerman Trial” by Khadijah Costly White; “Crackers, please… Who cares if Trayvon Martin called George Zimmerman a “creepy ass cracker”? White grievance-mongers, that’s who” by the fabulous Joan Walsh; “Dark-skinned and plus-sized: The Real Rachel Jeantel Story” by Brittney Cooper and; The Smearing of Rachel Jeantel by Mary Elizabeth Williams, and so it goes.