In today's Thoughtful Thursday we focus on two young African American poets: Angelo Geter (left photo) and Joshua Bennett (right photo). Angelo Geter is a poet and performance artist also known as "EyeAmBic." A National Poetry Slam champion, Geter is releasing his debut poetry collection in late 2020. He is the Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, SC, and an Academy [...]
Crystal McCrary McGuire The new episode of the Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis podcast is LIVE!! Filmmaker and author Crystal McCrary McGuire, mom of three whose son Cole Anthony is a 2020 top NBA draft prospect, is this week’s guest. Crystal shares how she helps all of her children pursue their passions, the keys to making [...]
Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis is up and running! Filmmaker and author Crystal McCrary McGuire, mom of three whose son Cole Anthony is a 2020 top NBA draft prospect, is this week's guest. Crystal shares how she helps all of her children pursue their passions, the keys to making a blended family run smoothly, and much more. You can find it [...]
Did you celebrate Juneteenth with your family this year? My father's family is from Texas, so I grew up hearing about Juneteenth celebrations from Texas relatives, but my family didn't celebrate it in NYC. Fast forward to yesterday–Juneteenth celebrations were everywhere! Some companies gave their employees the day off, social media exploded with Juneteenth graphics, memes and hashtags, and [...]
HUGE NEWS!!!! Our new podcast, Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis, has launched! In this weekly series, I’m talking about the joy and the job of raising Black children with fascinating folks who have valuable parenting experience, perspectives and advice to share. I’ve been writing about parenting Black boys and girls in this blog for so many years; [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday presents the poem "What Shall I Tell My Children Who are Black (Reflections of an African American Mother)" by artist, poet, author, and educator Margaret Burroughs (1915-2010). It was written in 1968, but could well have been written this week. In it Burroughs addresses the issue of how to raise black boys up to be confident [...]
Are you old enough to remember the 1960's rallying cry of "Black is Beautiful"? A recent conversation with a young Black mom lets me know it is time to bring it back. This mom is looking for uplifting reading material for her 8 year old daughter, whose class has been discussing George Floyd's death and how poorly Black Americans [...]
Have you or your children been getting a lot of requests from your white friends for resources about Black history and the struggle for racial justice these days? It is exhausting, trying to deal with your own and your family's reactions to everything going on AND having your well meaning but less [...]
Here we find ourselves returning yet again to the question of how we should talk with our children, especially our sons, about another horrifying murder of a black man at the hands of a police officer. What should we say to them about the death of George Floyd, and about the protests that have followed? Children of All Ages: [...]
More power to your child who wants to join a peaceful demonstration. Just make sure that she knows some basic rules: Your child has the right to peacefully protest. She can say whatever she wants during the protest as long as it is not a threat. She should be prepared to be arrested at the protest, for a [...]