A LETTER TO MY BIRACIAL CHILD
Son, you ARE black. Enough has no place in this sentence. There should be no confusion about this. I know you are trying to process what is happening in our country. I know you want to speak up. Do not let anyone tell you that your voice has no place in this conversation. Your voice might be one of the most important. You have an opportunity to design a better world with the choices you make and the actions you take. Our history will always be your history but your future does not have to be our history. See color. See it vividly. It is all around you. It is just as it should be and it is beauty.
You are black and you are white and you are everything in between. You do not need to pick a side. No one has the right to choose your identity for you. No one has the right to decide what parts of you have worth. You are in complete control of your moral compass so hold yourself accountable. You are in complete control of your values and how they show up day in and day out, so do something about that. You must decide what your footprint will be, and how you want to be remembered when you depart this earth.
Son, my point is that it starts with you. The man you see when you look in the mirror. Your shade of brown, your brightest white, is not what will make the world a better place for your children. Your actions will. Here are a few things I would like you to keep in mind as you make your way. You have made the choice to go to college and you are fortunate to be able to do so. Know this, knowledge discriminates but education should not…ENOUGH. You have made a choice to pursue a career in healthcare. Health discriminates, healthcare should not…ENOUGH. You want live a bountiful life. Wealth discriminates, opportunity should not…ENOUGH. So when someone tells you that you are not black enough, help them with some context. Context around the things we need to say enough to. These are the things that need to be different, not you. Perhaps they will join you in making a difference.
With unconditional love.
