Gorilla Death: A Matter of Race?

By now you’ve probably heard about the killing of a 17-year-old gorilla by the name of Harambe on Saturday.

The gorilla was fatally wounded after officials made the call to do so in an effort to save a 3-year-old Black boy who fell into a moat at the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla enclosure on Saturday.

WLWT reports that the 400-lb animal was shot and killed by the zoo’s dangerous animal response team about ten minutes after the boy made it into the enclosure.

Zoo Director Thane Maynard said that the boy crawled through the railing and fell into the moat just before 4 p.m. Saturday. According to the Cincinnati fire department, the gorilla was “violently dragging and throwing the child” when they were called.

The child was in between the gorilla’s legs when the gorilla was shot. The child, who was conscious during the rescue, was released from Children’s Hospital Saturday night and is reportedly doing “just fine.”

Officials say they did not tranquilize Harambe because it might not take effect right away since he was agitated.

The handling of the situation has not only sparked polarizing debate, but resulted in mass criticism of the child’s parents.

Not long after the incident, 32-year-old Michelle Gregg and 36-year-old Deonne Dickerson were placed in the spotlight.

Many feel that Dickerson and Gregg, who is an administrator at a Cincinnati pre-school, should be held accountable.

A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges were being considered.

What’s interesting is that publications such as the Daily Mail wasted no time disclosing Dickerson’s “lengthy criminal history.”

“Criminal filings against Dickerson stretch over a decade and include burglary, firearms offenses, drug trafficking, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and kidnap,” the site reads.

We can’t help but wonder: if the child’s parents were white, would such criticism exist? Why does Dickerson’s criminal background matter?

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