Contributed by Ernie Quincosa
My
work has put me in touch with a hundred kids like Trayvon Martin. Many
of the FAFSA nights I’ve put together have been in Miami’s less well-off
neighborhoods. Most of the students that come out are struggling to get
an education, have friends, and stay out of trouble, and I have seldom
heard any of them complain about their circumstances. It is unfortunate
that the students trying hardest to distance themselves from the
negative stereotypes about people of color can end up misunderstood, and
how that misunderstanding can result in the loss of a life.
Had
Trayvon been a high school senior, he might have come in to one of the
events at the high school in his community and I would have helped him
do his financial aid paperwork for college. The reality of the situation
is that this ordeal could have happened to many of the students I
helped. I would hate to think that any of the parents who have come into
Catalyst Miami to have their taxes prepared by me would ever have to
deal with their children being targeted based on assumptions about their
character. 
