Name: How to raise a Black son in America
Uploaded: 2015-04-23T15:00:55Z
Duration: 5 min 3 s
Description: As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response.

Clint Smith: How to raise a Black son in America

How to raise a Black son in America

As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response.

Growing up Black in America means learning rules that protect rather than simply guide. A vivid memory of being pulled from a water-gun fight by a fearful parent highlights how innocence is overshadowed by survival. Families pass down lessons meant to shield children from danger, even if it means sacrificing pieces of childhood. The fight for dignity and safety shapes daily life, yet hope persists for a world where every child is free to simply be a child.