Raising Black Children in America

00:40 - And we’re back! Meek and Nique catch each other up with how they’re feeling (all the ailments and faux hangovers), and are changing it up a little this episode. Instead of pulling a topic from the Tea Jar, they are going straight to the communitea with a Q&A session.   02:10 - Our first question is from Kiera, who asks: What does it look like to raise black children in America today? What does it look like more specifically for your individual families?   02:30 - First, shout out to our communitea for interacting with us, sending us your questions, and letting us know what you think! Before getting to Kiera’s question, Meek and Nique tell us what they’re sipping on. Monique is sipping on a rooibos tea named I Woke Up Like This, which she also shared with Meka for today.   04:14 - To answer Kiera’s question… for Meek, knowing she has three black sons, it makes her feel sick because she’s afraid for her kids and how they can be targeted by society. Right now, they’re seen as small, cute children, but they will grow into tall, strong, black men who won’t receive the same grace from society. For Nique, she leans on her faith and her husband. She is fiercely protective of her son, recalling Emmett Till and how so little has changed for black boys in America since then.     08:13 - Meka brings up the Exonerated Five and the impact of how young black boys are represented in the media. This is a hard and sensitive topic, and is a fear for every mother of black children.   09:55 - Nique brings up her mixed family and the fiery confidence that her daughter has, which can pose a challenge as she grows older. As she grows up as a biracial person, how will she be received and perceived in the world? Nique explains that it’s an ongoing challenge to ensure that her biracial kids know that they don’t have to choose black or white, that they belong in society, and they are in charge of their own identities.     12:28 - For Meka, her goal is to raise happy kids. Kids see color but not with the heaviness that adults do. Still, she makes sure that her children know about the history of their ancestors and recalls bringing Elle to the African American History Museum in DC to show her black history in America.   14:25 - The ladies remind us: Prayer without works is dead. Remember to put your prayers into action.    15:50 - Meek and Nique both have used the Little Leaders books by Vashti Harrison to recognize the celebratory moments and people of Black American history. They recognize in themselves how difficult it is to educate their kids about America’s violence and racism against black bodies, because it’s such a challenging and painful discussion to have with young children.    17:51 - Nique makes the point that it’s all about empowerment and positivity about yourself and your culture. It gives strength to talk about the difficult things when the story is one of survival and resilience. Modern day stories of black excellence prove every day what black success looks and feels like.    19:25 - Meka talks about confidence in their black sons and how positive affirmations build them up with positivity. It’s a great practice to start with any and all of your kids!    21:10 - Meek and Nique invite the communitea to share your affirmations, share how your family navigates race issues and challenges, how you teach your children about the world while building them up. Let’s teach our children to be confident and proud of their blackness.    23:45 - Monique speaks about her eldest child, Layla, who attends an HBCU and has experienced so many people from different backgrounds that she can hang with anybody. She’s always been proud of her blackness and thrives in her environment because of her confidence.    26:30 - “I refuse to raise kids that are soft as butter. We don’t have kids that melt. We have kids that have resilience.”   29:00 - What can our non-black listeners do to be better allies? Have a desire to learn and be sincere about being open to listening to others that don’t look like you. Share conversations with each other and learn from others’ experiences.   31:40 - To close out, it’s Drive Track time! Nique has been listening to Imagine Dragons “The Fall” (but the whole album is great), and Meek has been listening to Afro B’s Drogba (Joanna). ----- Make sure to follow Meek and Nique on social media!  Meka’s blog is Hanging with the Harrells and her instagram is @xomekaharrell. Nique can be found at White Coat Wifey and followed at @whitecoatwifey! Make sure to follow the show at @teawithmeekandnique on Insta to see behind-the-scenes and more content, say hello to your fearless hosts at meekandnique.com,  and tune in for the next episode!