“My children are biracial, their daddy is brown, and they have white privilege.
My two sons? They will never personally know what it feels to be like their daddy — a man with brown skin.
Selfishly, I admit, that’s two fewer worries for my mama heart.
They have (before and will continue to in the future) faced issues from simple minds BECAUSE their daddy is brown. There will be a little girl with a daddy or a family that won’t approve. They will hear racist ‘jokes’ and comments made in their presence because they pass the skin tone test. The skin tone, being white, hides their true identity and background. Their white skin tone, never hinting they have a daddy they adore who has brown skin. Their white skin tone, never letting on they have a whole big, beautiful side of the family who are not white but are just as equally related to them as their white family members. Their background, their bloodline, their heritage, their people — all hidden because their mother’s genetics on skin tone were more dominant.
My boys, regardless of being their daddy’s children, don’t share the color of daddy’s skin. Therefore they will never grow up to be brown men. They will never face firsthand the fear, conflict, judgment, hatred, prejudice, unfairness brown men face every day in one situation or another simply because of the color of their skin.
Had genetics gone a different way, they may have looked differently. So while I’m not going to have to prepare them for all of the scenarios mamas of brown sons, unfortunately, have to prepare theirs for — these boys of mine will be informed of all of those unfair talks and family meetings others have to have with their sons in preparedness for possible scenarios they will face because of their skin color.
I will never discredit that special part of them. I will continue to teach them how important it is to know and understand how special and important THEY are BECAUSE of their daddy’s skin… and how much deeper that goes.
I will always remind them of their privilege at first glance.
I will continue to teach them how different things can go when your skin is not white.
And I will always, always guide them in the proper ways to speak up and speak out when others are hurt in any form by racism.
They will be major allies in this fight. I promise.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Molly Holbrooks-Grant from South Carolina. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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