8 Life-Changing Statements To Tell Black Boys And Girls Everyday

SOME SHORT AND IMPACTFUL MANTRAS TO HOLD ONTO RIGHT NOW

By Nyamekye

I am a young, Black school psychologist and a large part of my position includes counseling young, Black boys and girls. After COVID-19 shut down every school building in the nation, my students made somewhat of an easy transition to teletherapy. We mainly focused on sustaining attention and other peer engagement. With the inception of COVID-19, I was anticipating more questions and anxiety surrounding the virus. However, as the weeks went on they asked a few questions but seemed to adjust to distance learning well. Then, the murder of Ahmaud Arbery went viral.

You would be surprised how much children understand the world around them. Some say you should shelter the youth from violence like murders. But answer this question: Do Black parents have that choice? After every police-involved shooting, parents place new parameters on their child’s life, like mothers having to explain how to interact with a police officer to a nine-year-old, or fathers teaching their fifth grader to take their hood off in a store. When you raise a Black child in America, you subconsciously train them for survival.

The Monday after Ahmaud’s murder went viral, everyone’s anxiety skyrocketed. There was a noticeable difference between the reaction of COVID-19 and Ahmaud’s murder. A few weeks after Ahmaud’s murder, the case of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Iyanna Dior flooded our timelines. With an impending uprising approaching our community, I could sense fear and worry in my students.

As the media played constant video of Black and brown bodies being hit by rubber bullets, doubts started to loom over their heads. I decided to challenge those negative thoughts and create mantras and affirmations for my students. It’s imperative for young Black boys and girls to have a statement they can hold on to, something short but impactful. A way to harness their worth and capture their joy.

I share them with you in hopes that you empower the youth to believe in themselves, their futures and their blackness.

1. My skin is beautiful, therefore I am beautiful.

2. I am strong. Look at these muscles! I am smart. Look at this brain! I am lovable. Look at this heart!

3. Dear me, I love you.

4. If I try hard enough, I can do anything.

5. I love my brown/Black skin. I am handsome/beautiful. That is all.

6. I am (enter age). I will make mistakes. I will learn and grow.

7. I can create greatness!

8. Crying will only make me stronger.

Given the history of America, we know that our fight is not yet over. Let these statements ignite the new generation of leaders.

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Carllistus Nyamekye Obeng is a Ghanaian-American School Psychologist, Poet, Writer and Speaker. He uses his gift of Dyslexia to communicate the needs of those who are unable to. He lives by one mantra "God gave me this voice, I might as well use it".