Mother’s Daze

There is a powerful burden on the shoulders of America’s black mothers. Throughout our existence, in this land called home, it has been our responsibility to interpret life for our young.

That’s not different from the responsibility for mothers throughout the world. Except, for us, our responsibility is a burdensome one because we must prepare our children for an environment that awaits them with folded arms of indifference, pale images, and empty promises.

Ours is an awesome task because while preparing our young for the challenges ahead, we must be extremely diligent in developing their blackness as a positive force and we must do this at the same time we prepare them for the racism that permeates their existence in America.

We hold our little ones close

Early on we must teach the beauty of blackness. We must surround our children with supportive images of themselves and of our people from earlier generations. White America is not going to provide us a structure of support.

We must share and use the folklore of our African American elders in a way that enhances our/their existence.

While we prepare our children to appreciate African American history, we must make sure they understand, as our Native American brothers put it, “The ways of the white man who speaks with fork tongue.”

A historical overview is needed for an understanding of American racism, but an honest explanation of what is happening in everyday life is an excellent opportunity for a discussion that leads to the all-important travel back in time; the historical perspective.

We cannot ignore the ongoing protest and police killings. An age-appropriate conversation, of this, is a powerful tool in addressing one of our most unique and burdensome responsibilities – American racism.

Our Children are special

Do we tell children that there is no place of high esteem reserved for them in this great land of freedom and opportunity?

Do we tell our sons that the penitentiary is holding their reservation and do we tell our daughters that the street corners are reserved for them?

As black mothers, we are tasked with explaining America’s true blueprint for our people. But, more importantly, we aretasked with becoming our own architects thereby creating a plan for excellence.

We can’t do it alone. We’ve got brothers, sisters, grandparents, and our entire community to help us reach higher ground.

We treasure and want to protect our children, yet, we must talk with them about the street corner and the penitentiary; but we must, also, teach them and lead them to Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”