My black boys

I will raise them to be smart. I will raise them to be kind. I will raise them to be respectful.  I will raise them to be loving. I will raise them to be skeptical. I will raise them to be wary. I will raise them to be aware.

I will raise them to have intellect. I will raise them to have integrity.  I will raise them to have patience.  I will raise them to have fear. I will raise them to have humility.  I will raise them to have persistence. 

I will raise them to be smart enough to know danger no matter what face or uniform it wears.
I will raise them to be kind to those who may not be kind to them.
I will raise them to be respectful to any and all authority figures even if they are not respectful to you. 
I will raise them to be loving to the neighbor who misjudge them.
I will raise them to be skeptical of all information from sources friendly and foreign.
I will raise them to be wary of all actions and statement a of others.
I will raise them to be aware of all peo o let and surroundings.

I will raise them to have intellect so that they can decipher ignorance and conjecture from knowledge and truth.
I will raise them to have integrity so that they uphold the law of right when others fail to do so. 
I will raise them to have patience so that they can suffer all the injustice they will face. 
I will raise them to have fear because it is the basest and most natural indicator of danger.
I will raise them to have humility so they will always be seen for who they are not what they do. 
I will raise them to have persistence because they must succeed in a system that was not designed for them.

Heads high, minds open, heart pure, and unfortunately hands up. That's how I will raise my black boys. I want them to survive long enough to change this, so this is not how they have to raise their black boys.