To My BLACK prince, my scholar, my happiness, and my entire world.

Nephew,
Today I look into your eyes and I see the innocence of Tamir Rice...the potential of Michael Brown...the resilience of Trayvon Martin, and the strength of all the young black men whose bodies were stolen and destroyed.  When I say destroyed, I am referring to the police departments of this country who are endowed with the authority to pull out their guns and kill us without being held accountable for it.

y heart is heavy and I cannot help but cry! I cry because soon you will learn that Eric Garner was choked and killed just 5 miles away from your home for selling cigarettes. You will learn that Alton Sterling was shot multiple times for the world to see, as he surrendered on the ground to the police. You will learn that Phillando Castille was destroyed in front of his family as he reached for his wallet....Your heart will hurt, the hairs behind your neck will stand up when you realize the destruction of our people are all symptoms of the racial disparities that exist/ed in our criminal justice system.... I am hopeful that statement will be past tense when you are able to read this.

The oppression of our people breaks my heart. The existence of the black men in my life is beginning to make me feel privileged amongst my own people. This morning I was blessed to look into your eyes, hear your voice, fight through your crankiness and watch you leave for summer camp. My heart was so happy to have you for another day, yet so sad that it brought tears to my eyes.

I cry because Philando Castille is now a hashtag . I cry because the son of Alton Sterling watched the footage of his fathers death circulate around the world and now he must figure out a way to move on, while fearing for his own body and racial injustice. My heart is piercing because I am afraid of the day when you walk out the door as a black man without someone holding your hand to protect you.

oday I hug you tighter because you are a reflection of all the black bodies stolen from us. I am reminded of Sean Bell and the trauma his death placed on my heart, my city and body. I look at you and see our people being destructed daily by frisking, beatings, detaining, and humiliations. I cry because one day I must help teach you how to protect your body in order to always make it home alive. 

As you grow you will learn that being a Black Man in America comes with a level of bravery which at times can be very exhausting. Each time you step out the door you will be aware that you are a Black Man who is responsible for protecting himself .. You will learn to be cognizant of every move you make, every word you say and every space your are in. Each day you will be confronted with racism, however you must learn to use your bravery to assert humanity, even in the face of dehumanization. You must always remember you are a Black man in a country that brought us all here with only one intention. Some days will be hard and some may give you hope that change is on the way.
 

In my eyes you will always be brave and your existence will forever be courageous .

I remember sitting in my car three years ago crying because I was speechless and afraid. Your mother broke the news to me about her pregnancy and my heart became heavy with fear. I felt like a failure and a horrible big sister for not looking after her the way my mother asked me to before she passed away.

Turns out I was so wrapped up with my senior thesis and getting into law school ,I had no idea what my counter parts were facing. Your Uncle Gregg was home in Brooklyn alone without any family or support  and your mom was fourteen living in Syracuse, searching for someone to love her the way our mother did. At this time she was still in her first trimester , but I already knew her decision to bring you into this world instantly placed a responsibility on me that I had no control over.

I spent months crying because I was truly convinced that you were entering this world way too soon . I was unsure of how you will live, where you will live, who will take custody of your mother in order to take care of you. However, time was ticking and there were some hard choices waiting for me.

our existence in this world has filled me up with so much love and certainty. Each day your eyes remind me that you never know how empty you are until someone comes around to fill you up. Your smile reminds me that some choices cannot be made by logic and must be made with your heart. Your comfort and affection reminds me that there is always something worth fighting for and holding on to no matter how weak you feel. Moving home to help your mother raise you was a choice I made. Having the opportunity to see you each day grow into a Black King is a blessing.

have hope that by the time you read this white people in this country will make a decision to be as invested in stopping discrimination as black people are.