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Lessons for My Black Nephew to Keep Him Alive
It may seem like I’m nagging, but he needs to be cognizant of how he’s seen in a racist society
Every day around sunset, my nephew and I go for a walk around our neighborhood. It’s not an ideal time of the day to do so, but we live in a city where it’s hot almost year-round. Evenings are the only hours that offer relief from the heat.
As we walk, I share a lot of things he shouldn’t do:
“Don’t make eye contact with that man.”
“Don’t stop there.”
“Don’t walk so far ahead of me.”
“Don’t point at that car.”
As a young woman, I’m very mindful of the precautions I need to take when walking around at night. I keep my phone on at all times, carry protection, and never take the same route two days in a row.
These safeguards ensure I’m not assaulted or followed by some creepy man trying to pick me up. After more than two decades on this earth, they’ve become second nature. But my 12-year-old nephew doesn’t have the same intuition.
Because my nephew is Black, I’m constantly aware of how others might perceive him as we walk. It’s not something he’s aware of himself. The other night, as we walked on grass near the…
