The Talk About the Talk

Earlier this month I had a chance to participate in a spoken word performance, the unifying topic being "the talk" that African-American parents have with their sons (and increasingly also daughters) about how to survive encounters with law enforcement.  Here is a transcript of my remarks.

Off of that powerful and emotional event, I was able to broach the subject with both Aaron and Jada.  I had already told them many times over that there were things we would have to worry about with Asher and go over with him that didn't apply as much to them, such as "the talk."




But this time I added that they needed to understand the contents of "the talk."  They need to know for the future, because they might be in a group of friends, and a black friend of theirs might not have previously had that talk with their parents, and Aaron or Jada might have to fill them in.  Or their black friends have had that talk, but the non-black friends among them don't understand what the big deal is, and Aaron or Jada might have to stand with their black friends and let them know they understand.

Sibling birth order and shared family experiences are deeply influential in shaping our life perspectives.  Sometimes, in the midst of that, we are lucky enough to gain insight into matters of race.  I feel fortunate that we can have these conversations, and I will continue to do so, and I pray my kids will take these issues to heart, and when the moment comes to stand up and to stand out, that they will be ready.