Dear Little Black Boy – An Emancipation Day Message of Hope, Power & Possibility
Dear Little Black Boy,
On this Emancipation Day, I write to you not from a place of pity, but from a place of power. I write to you because you are powerful. I write to you because the chains that once shackled your ancestors’ wrists were never strong enough to bind their spirits, and that same unbreakable spirit lives in you.
Yes, the world may try to box you in. It may whisper that you’re not enough. It may try to convince you that you’re too loud, too rough, too young, too ambitious, or even call you an upstart or say you are infantile. The world will show you skewed reflections and call them truth. But know this: you are not what they say you are. You are what you say you are. And you, little black boy, are destined for greatness.
You will encounter racism and classism. You will feel its sting from different places and even in various disguised forms. But let it not harden your heart. Let it sharpen your vision. Let it fuel your mission. You are not defined by the hate you face, but by the love you embody, and the excellence you pursue.
You were not born to shrink. You were not made to dim your light so others could shine. Stand tall. Speak boldly. Walk proudly. Learn everything you can. Ask questions. Build things. Break cycles. Make music. Write stories. Lead movements. Heal wounds. Run races, both literal and symbolic, and WIN!
Look in the mirror each morning and say to yourself:
“I am powerful. I am brilliant. I am worthy. I am free.”
Because you are all those things, and more.
Emancipation did not end with the breaking of physical chains. True emancipation is the breaking of mental shackles. It is knowing that your mind is as vast as the universe. It is believing that you belong in every room, on every stage, at every table, and if they don’t make room for you, you build your own.
You are the dream of your ancestors. And not a dream to be better than anyone, but to be as good as anyone. And you, dear little black boy, are here to take your rightful place and serve your purpose.
So on this Emancipation Day, know this:
You are not a problem to be solved.
You are a promise to be fulfilled.
Rise. Run. Reach. Reimagine. Rebuild.
The future has your name written all over it.
Live up, my little black brother, Live up!!
And know, too, that your sisters walk this journey beside you; powerful, brilliant, and free, with dreams just as vast and spirits just as unbreakable.
With love, dignity, and unshakable belief,
A Voice Who Sees You
And Knows Your Power
