I do this work for my son, Terrence, my daughter Ariyah, and for your children too.
The idea for this podcast came when I attended a transition lab. Here is a link to the transitions and changes, I promised to make to myself–to be a liberated parent: Parenting for Liberation
I am raising a young Black boy in a society that is set up to set him up for failure.
This means I am often in protection mode: protection against educational inequity, unfair discipline practices, preschool-to-prison-pipeline, stereotypical accolades, and most importantly, his own self-hate and internalized oppression (don’t get me started on my 5 year-old-telling me he wanted to “be white”).
This is the daily battle I try to prevent my son from dealing with, the daily battle where I try to be the buffer between him and the real world. I imagine myself as Super Mama, a powerful, badass mama with one hand holding a massive shield blocking my son, and the other, a powerful fist raised in resistance.
But in all of my fighting, resisting and protecting, I now realize that I have been blocking my own heart: my hands have not been open to nourish and nurture my son. I see more clearly that I have been parenting from fear. I know that I must transition from parenting for protection to parenting for liberation.
My practice commitment is simple and affirmative: “saying yes.”
Yes to liberation.
Yes to freedom.
Yes to self love.
Underneath all of these affirmative statements is an internal struggle against a fearful and safe “no.”