The Times In Which We Live...

Yesterday I saw a young Black girl in the store with an older white woman. She was about 11 or 12 years old. Something about her or maybe my heightened awareness of recent incidents of harm being done to unsuspecting Black folks, made me want to ask lil' Sis, if she was okay. I hope my eyes conveyed my concern such that she knew I was a safe harbor if she needed it. 

I'm not paranoid, or even racist, as some will deflect, but these are the times in which we are living. Two white folks were recently convicted for brutally abusing several Black children they adopted. Lynchings are on the rise. We are to believe that a young Black wrestler killed himself by rolling himself in a wrestling mat. Let us not forget Tamla Horsford, the 40-year-old Black mother of five athletic sons, found dead in the backyard after a sleepover with white soccer moms. 

The stories of abuse or death of unsuspecting Black boys by their white "friends" is off the chain. Even white folks on social media are warning Black folks to be more careful and not so trusting in white spaces. I hear them...

I have said it for a long time now, and I will continue to say it, if white people knew the true depth of barbarity in their history, instead of spreading a narrative that they should clutch their pearls and fear Black folks, they would wonder why we're not afraid of them. 👀 

Be careful folks. We must be careful about the situations in which we put ourselves, certainly our children. How many of you hold inside or come home from work or some other integrated situation complaining about some negative experience you had with a white person, overtly or passively? What makes you then think that somehow our children can navigate that? Without the proper tools, they cannot... 

We are not protecting them when we don't talk to them about racism and discrimination, past or present. We do them no favor when we don't teach them to recognize the red flags, instead, we harm them. We harm, not protect them, by not passing down stories, not telling them their history (the good to fortify them, the bad to prepare them), not sharing our personal experiences, not instilling in them the skill of discernment to be on the alert at all times. 

There's a way to do that without exchanging their innocence of youth for a constant state of paranoia or making them feel tense or on guard at all times but rather, alert and aware of the signs to notice when things are out of sorts. They will know to err on the side of caution and not second guess their intuition telling themselves that something's wrong with them when it is not. Teach them to assess their surroundings to know good and bad people in their proximity. Teach them to identify good folks, both Black and white, who can be trusted to help in these situations. 

Have you all seen the social media posts where non-Black parents are teaching their children that if they're in a situation that doesn't feel safe, to find a Black woman to protect them. 👀 Sidebar: Black folks are feeling some kinda' way about this for a bunch of reasons. Again, however, it's not paranoia, it's survival. 

Is this fair? Are these pleasant conversations to have with our Black children? No, but they are necessary conversations that can be a matter of life or death in these times in which we are living. More importantly, it is responsible parenting...

We are hearing too many of stories from far too many Black families left with no resolve, no justice, therefore, no peace, after an inexplicable and sudden death or missing of a loved one. Miss Higgi Prays that each family so affected, find justice and peace... 🙏🏿