A Tale of America

The death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officers as the world watched in horror was an awakening for America calls to reconcile with its deeply rooted racial injustices. No longer secret was its struggles to reconcile the lofty dreams of an egalitarian society with ever-present systemic racism and racial inequality that excludes and suppresses communities of color. As a mom, I was forced to engage in conversations of the post Jim Crow racial inequalities and injustices with my then 7-year old son. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the unthinkable happened. The January 6th 2021 insurrection happened. And like many parents, I struggled to find words to explain these unfathomable events to my son. I wanted him to know that as imperfect and flawed as America is, this country remains a great nation with an uncanny capability of withering any storm; rising against any obstacles. I wanted him to have pride as a young American while still acknowledging its shortcomings.