Parents’ first instinct is to protect their child from any and all danger. Unfortunately, one cannot solely rely on being the perfect parent and teaching your children all the right things. The reality is, preventative measures go but so far. There is nowhere to hide your children. While you may teach your children all of the right things, you could still lose them. They could still lose you.
There is no comfort anyone can offer Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain Martin. While her son’s assailant walks free, she is sentenced to years of wondering what she could have done differently to keep her son alive. But the answer isn’t finding new places to hide.
Be seen.
If your family experiences racial injustices, show it. If your family is benefiting from racial progress, show it. Be the talking point in an ongoing conversation about race until there is nothing left to change.
When Emmett Till was brutally murdered after allegedly whistling at a white woman, his mother, Mamie Till, demanded an open casket.
Till’s mother explained: “I wanted the world to see what they did to my baby.”
Follow suit. Let the world see your baby.
