Stop Killing Our Sons!

As I was putting the finishing touches on my blog post about our curriculum plans for the fall, I froze.  My mind drifted to Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown.  He is the teen who was gunned down by the police in Ferguson, Missouri, for jaywalking and then left dead in the street for hours!  Mrs. McSpadden will never get the chance to help her son, Michael Brown, choose his college classes for freshman year.  I had to stop writing my curriculum post, go kiss my sons, pray and then weep for the mother.  I thought about how I nursed my son, wore him in a carrier and made his baby food from scratch.  I thought about how much a mother pours into her children.  I thought about how mothers dream about the futures of their sons. I thought about my dreams for KingMan -  college, businesses, marriage and children.  Sadly, Lesley McSpadden, like so many Black mothers whose sons die violently, will never have this experience.  Recently, KingMan asked if he could meet some friends at the mall and go to the movies.  My first thought was about his safety.  I was not worried about average citizens harming my son.  Instead, I was more worried about the police! I feared that if he were with a group of young African males that the cops would target them, harass them or find a reason to shoot them in cold blood.  Why should I be thinking that way about a simple trip to the mall with friends? Because I am the mother of a Black male child! I have installed the Uber app on his phone because I don't want him on the metro at night.  As soon as he turns 16, he'll get a license so he can drive.  I've been thinking of installing a camera in the car so if he is ever pulled over by the police, he can record the event.  This coming Tuesday there is an event in my area that will teach citizens how to protect themselves if stopped by the police.  Imagine that! We have to now learn how to protect ourselves from the police.  Something must be done and I plan to be a part of the solution.  I cannot sit around and continue to read about innocent children being killed at the hands of the police.  I believe in the power of  words and I must affirm what I want.  I want justice!