Bruce Springsteen’s Song For Trayvon Martin (American Skin)

David Remnick reports for the New Yorker that a somber mood descended on Bruce Springsteen’s concert Thursday in Philadelphia as he introduced his next song saying “this is for Trayvon.”

He sang a version of his song American Skin (41 Shots), which was written after the killing of Amadou Diallo in 1999 by New York police.

Diallo was shot at 41 times. Four officers were in plain clothes and tried to stop Diallo because they claimed he matched the description of a well-armed serial rapist. Diallo attempted to run inside of his apartment. When officers told Diallo to show his hands he reached inside of his jacket to withdraw his wallet. One of the officers shouted “Gun!” and Diallo was then struck by 19 of the 41 bullets shot at him.

The officers were all later acquitted of any charges, which sparked a public outrage in New York City and other parts of the country, with charges of police brutality and racial profiling.

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