This Mother’s Day morning, I’m reading you a letter from Twitter written by a Black mother, Sprinavasa Brown, in June 2020.
“For all my White friends, fellow parents in my children’s school, neighborhood, sports teams, etc.
“I’m keeping it to 100, so here is the truth…do not even ask me for a playdate, sleep over, babysitting, meet up or even send a birthday invite unless you can OPENLY talk with me and others about how you are actively being anti-racist as a parent, auntie, uncle, etc. If you have children in your life and you are not talking with them about racism, you are privileging whiteness and perpetuating white supremacy.
“It is not enough to say, ‘I love you and love your kids,’ or my favorite, ‘your kids are so beautiful, my kids love your kids.’ I am raising two, bright, exceptional and beautiful Black children. Who are Blackety Black Black. They are not here to make your child feel good, or give you a Black kid photo OP, or help you feel better because you live a segregated, insular life surrounded mostly by people that look like you, and my family is one of the only Black families you know in the city, ok state.
“What I may have tolerated before 2020 I damn sure won’t anymore, because I’m tired of the same conversations. Think of it as a new expectation for my parental friendship, if you must. If I have to teach my 9 year old (and been doing it since he was 5) how to behave, talk, dress, to be able to survive in this world as a Black boy, you better believe I expect you to teach your child to be anti-racist. NO excuses. Don’t talk about it, be about it.”
Check out @curious.parenting for more information and resources.
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