Shortly after George Floyd was killed, I read an essay by Amy, who is the white mom of two young Ethiopian American children. Amy writes of the anxiety she feels because of the ways our society treats black males, and the conversations she must have with her 10-year-old son to help him learn to stay safe. “[My son] has so much talent to offer this world and I want him to live a long and happy life doing all his heart desires,” writes Amy.

Are you a mom? I bet you love your children just as Amy loves hers. If you are white, consider the following poem, which Amy’s story inspired me to write:

Dear white moms of the United States,
   please imagine . . .

What if your life was filled with
       worry, daily worry
       whenever
        your son leaves the house
  You feel so helpless
        because that son you love
        might be killed
               because of the color of his skin.

Racism is a virus—if you’re not actively vaccinating your children against it, it will infect their hearts and spread– harming all who come in contact with it.

Autumn McDonald

Dear white moms,
       can you imagine
       having to scare your child
       with “The Talk:”
            you inform him
            about the dangers he faces
               out there:
        “Keep your hands
               flat on the dashboard.
         If you drop something
               don’t bend to pick it up,
          Don’t act mad. . .look calm . . . .” 

Imagine. I imagine that all you moms
            want to change what is happening
                        to some of our children;
      Maybe we start
             by teaching our children
                      to become anti-racist,
              and in that teaching
          we just might also become more and more,
                      an anti-racist?*

Imagine.
      Imagine what a difference
             we moms
      might make!

*Amy suggests one place to begin:  Read this