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This new blog, Half-Truths, the Capitol Insurrection, and My Black Son, is a personal narrative reflection of the duality I faced in explaining to my seven-year-old Black son what took place at the Capitol last week. A duality that I imagine many Black parents and caregivers to young children faced.
Last week, as I watched the Capitol insurrection unfolding on television, I briefly forgot my son was also in the room until he asked one simple question, “Why are they doing this?” I briefly contemplated my answer, but ultimately, I knew I could not do him the disservice of telling him half of an ugly truth.
My son does not have the luxury of knowing half the truth—Black children seldom do. A truth that, for many white parents and caregivers of young children, would end by explaining “the insurrectionists were angry that Donald Trump lost the election, so they were throwing a tantrum.” However, I knew that explanation would negate that the historical and present ongoing violent white resistance to the equity, dignity, and humanity of Black people. Such an explanation would also overlook the legal and political channels used to do so. All Black parents are not the same and we are not a monolith, but many find ourselves in the same predicament that our parents and grandparents faced.
This new blog unpacks that duality and gives parents and caregivers who do not usually have to explain such things to their children an opportunity to know why it is important and perhaps a chance to learn how.
Please feel free to view and share my Twitter thread here.
Alycia Hardy
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