As a generation, we have grown accustomed to waking up to another death of a black teen at the hands of a police officer. Being that it happens often does not take away that another life has vanished at the hands of a police officer that could have been prevented.
New mobile app State Safe Stop developed by Media Opp thinks they have a soft solution to a problem we are experiencing as a community. Creator and founder Dez White had this to say about her new app "Getting the location and receiving a video will empower the potential victim". But is a video enough? No, it is not an adequate defense against a gun but it will help document or prevent a situation from occurring.
Trayvon Martin was followed by George Zimmerman for 16 minutes before his life was taken. In the first five minutes, he could have sent his father his location via State Safe Stop and his father could have arrived in under 10 minutes given his distance from the location. Trayvon could have also recorded Zimmerman and had proof of his demeanor that would not have been erased from his history on the mobile app. That video would have been automatically sent to his "Safe List" as soon as the recording was done. Does this mean he would still be alive? No . But he would have had a fighting chance.
Jordan Edwards and Trayvon Martin were both young men at the start of what looked like bright futures. Both of these young men will never be able to tell their sides of the story. As a community, we have to change that and empower our youth no matter what the tool is.
State Safe Stop has launched in the Apple and Andriod stores and is available for download. The app company has launched a viral campaign as well, starring IAM COMPTON and Mechelle Epps. The first commercial documents a traffic stop with a young African American male.
Will you be downloading?