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Raising a young black man in North America today means fear, faith and hope that change will come | CBC News

Raising a young black man in North America today means fear, faith and hope that change will come | CBC News

Raising a young black man in North America today means fear, faith and hope that change will come | CBC News
Jun 02, 2020 2 mins, 8 secs

Terrified because I completely understand the kind of burden he'll have to carry when he comes of age as a young black man in this world. .

I heard these stories from my father, and I've seen it first hand with my brother, Imamu. .

When my brother was a teenager in the early 1990s, living in Toronto's eastern suburb of Scarborough, he would drive to our corner store to get candy and pop all the time.

An officer pulled him over, and my mom proceeded to wind down the back window and ask, "What's the problem here, officer?" He fumbled and mumbled and said something about my brother's tail light and gave him a ticket.

My brother is now living in California and has had several interactions with police there, too. He's an emergency physician and was on his way home from a night shift in the ER.

After finding his lab coat and stethoscope, the officer released him.

He said, "Oh, you're a doctor." My brother said, "Yes." The officer said, "Sorry." .

Numerous black men and women have been killed, many in senseless encounters with police.

But I must admit, I have a heightened sensitivity knowing that I am raising a black boy. .

It started on May 25, with Amy Cooper, a white woman who called police on a black man over a dog leash dispute in New York City's Central Park.

It was incredibly heartbreaking and infuriating to see Floyd begging for his life while a white police officer kept his knee on his neck until he died?

For black men like my husband, brother and father.

And especially for black boys like my nephew and my two-year-old son.

The ugly side of society where a black man can be seen as a threat, his life dehumanized and disposable. ?

How do I explain that he'll be seen as different because of the colour of his skin, that before he even speaks, he could be judged based on his race?

I've had people troll me about my big nose, fat lips, how I look like a monkey

I've had a former co-worker make a joke about black people being lazy and another who suggested that back in the day, I would have been "the help."

So, what do I tell my son when he's old enough to understand the burden of being a black man

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