Our Black Sons Matter

Edited by George Yancy; Maria del Guadalupe Davidson and Susan Hadley - Afterword by Farah Jasmine Griffin

Our Black Sons Matter is a powerful collection of original essays, letters, and poems that addresses both the deep joys and the very real challenges of raising black boys today. The book addresses painful trauma, challenges assumptions, and offers insights and hope through the deep bonds between mothers and their children.

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: For the Love of Our Sons, by George YancyI: REFLECTIONS1. Black Mother/Sons, by Sara Lomax-Reese2. Once White in America, by Jane Lazarre3. A Bottle of Mike Brown and Robin Williams, by Shelly Bell4. Dark Radiance, by Becky Thompson and LaMar Delandro5. Why Being the Lone Black Friend of Whites Will Not Protect You, by Noliwe Rooks6. The Box,by Tracey Reed Armant7. White Mama, Black Sons, by Heather Johnson8. Watching and Waiting, by Nicole McJamerson9. The Trouble I've Seen . . . and Why It Matters, by Meta G. Carstarphen10. Inside/Outside, by Susan Hadley11. Black and Blue: Stressing through to Dialogue, by Deborah Binkley-Jackson12. A Black Jewish Boy Facing Manhood, by Jane Anna GordonII: ESSAYS13. Sacrificial Lambs : How Many Dead Bodies Is Enough?, by Carol E. Henderson14. Reflections of Black Motherhood: Birthing Black Sons, by Linda D. Tomlinson15. The War Within: Respect and the Predicament ofMothering Black Sons, by Newtona (Tina) Johnson16. A Long Ways from Home?, by Michele Moody-Adams17. T.H.U.G. (Talented, Humanistic, Unique, Gifted): Anthropology, Sentiments, and Narratives of Black Mothers and Sons, by Elisha Oliver18. A Fierce Love: The Unique Process of Nurturing, Educating, and Protecting Our Black Sons, by Tracey McCants Lewis19. Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, by Veronica T. Watson20. Mothers and Their Black Sons: Struggling against Fears, Sorrows, and Hope, by Blanche Radford-Curry21. Regarding Henry, by T. Denean Sharpley-WhitingIII: POEMS22. A Love Poem for Michael Brown, by Elisheba Johnson23. Lamentations from a Black Mom, by Dyan Watson24. for Trayvon, by Treasure Shields Redmond25. News of You, My Son, by Sharyn Skeeter26. Death Passes Twice, by Autumn RedcrossIV: LETTERS27. Dear William, by Gretchen Givens Generett28. A Letter to CJ, by Regina Sims Wright29. Killing/Saving/Loving Black Boys, by Karsonya Wise Whitehead30. Anger, by Jacki Lynn Baynks31. A Letter to Dr. King: Please Keep Breathing, by Maria del Guadalupe Davidson32. A Letter to My Sons, by Dawn Herd-ClarkAfterword by Farah Jasmine GriffinNotesResourcesIndexAbout the Contributors