I struggle with the juxtaposition of instilling hope amid my constant fear for the safety of my black son, daughters and stepsons. I’m not talking about that common separation anxiety experienced by all loving parents. This is an uncommon fear reserved almost exclusively for the parents of black and brown children, who themselves have been subject to blatant and unconscious acts of racism in their own lives. Parents living in this perpetual state of fear and worry that, at any given moment, our child will face a chance encounter with a real or faux police officer. And that a misconstrued word, sudden movement, slow movement or involuntary twitch will lead to tragic or fatal consequences. …
Rest assured that as your father MY MISSION IS TO KEEP YOU SAFE. I vow to forever stand with you and push back strongly against any forces that imperil your safety.
— A. Michael Pratt, a litigation partner at Greenberg Traurig, in a letter written to his son upon his college graduation. Pratt’s letter was originally supposed to be “a lighthearted celebratory missive,” but in the wake of the latest officer-involved killing of a black man, and after seeing his son’s “pain, despair, fear, hurt and anger,” Pratt switched gears. The Biglaw partner hasn’t lost hope for his son’s future, writing, “I remain prayerful that these emerging multiracial collaborations are sustainable and that our America will finally find a solution to contain those racist elements that hold such life or death power over its black and brown citizenry.”
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.