African American Parenting

What was mothering like in the past? When acclaimed historian Sarah Knott became pregnant, she asked herself this question. But accounts of motherhood are hard to find. For centuries, historians have concerned themselves with wars, politics and revolutions, not the everyday details of carrying and caring for a baby. These details matter: they shape our feelings and give structure to our hours. But they leave little historical trace. Much to do with becoming a mother, past or present, is lost or forgotten.

Can I Be the Man?: A Letter from Us to You is exactly what the title implies. It is a letter written on behalf of African American men in an attempt to put an end to the feud between male and female, so the duality of relationships can be restored. It addresses some hard conversations that need to be discussed within African American culture and relationships.

White-cracker, towel-head, red-man, greaser - if you know any of these words, their genesis, and shameless offspring, then it is time to strike them from your life. Erase them from your mind, delete them from the vocabulary of people kind. Do you honestly think that your opinion of me, in truth, determines my place in this society? At the end of the day, it is not about race, gender, or the different people that may come to mind, working to pass judgment on me, and the rest of people kind.