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In what is, arguably, the
most important story in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is women
who occupy center stage. They are wise, resourceful, and
courageous. They also are able – in the performance of
everyday “typical” female tasks – to pull off a quiet
“righteous revolution.” It was, what religious scholar
Cheryl Kirk-Duggan calls, a “spiritual subversion,” that
undermined the violent consequences of a public policy
designed to thwart the ability of a minority people to
survive and thrive.
In that ancient text in the
biblical Book of Exodus, children of a certain race,
religion and culture were born under a death sentence, the
state having decreed that they be thrown into the river to
die. Rather than allowing a racist, classist and patriarchal
system to dictate a deadly outcome for her son, however, the
mother of the child Moses, along with a cadre of other
life-affirming women (we hear nothing from Moses’ father
after his birth), acted courageously to defy the oppression.
With millions of black
children dying physically or psychologically from the
disease of “nihilism” as a result of being represented at
the top of nearly every negative social and economic
statistic, it is critical that we find ways to radically
undermine the current systems that contribute to the deaths
of so many young people.
How do we protect our
children from systemic threats designed to kill their sense
of meaning, purpose and intrinsic value and which ultimately
destroys black boys and girls themselves?
The actions of these
“conscientious objectors” of the past provide several
lessons that inform those who are raising black children
today or will tomorrow.
First, Moses’ mother hid or
shielded him. Perhaps the most important task of parenting
requires the shielding of children from negativity (from
within and without), negative peer pressure and low societal
expectations by providing spirituality, education, healthy
activities and positive enrichment.
Healthy shielding fosters
positive self-esteem and makes children feel good about
themselves. Education needs to go beyond what is taught in
the schools and include African and African-American culture
and discussions on the reality of racial and other
discriminations, patriarchy, the criminal justice system and
mass incarceration. Parental and community education should
also be provided that teaches respect, responsibility and
resilience.
Next, this “activist” African
mother in antiquity, using ingenuity and sacrifice, crafted
a boat from papyrus, pitch and tar with the purpose of
giving the baby Moses an opportunity to survive by “floating
on the mainstream” – the same system that was providing a
death experience for oppressed minorities.
Black children need to obtain exposure beyond their ordinary
experiences. Children who are able to survive systematic
oppression intact are those more likely to be involved in
activities such as athletics, church, dance classes, music,
art or other activities outside of the school classroom.
Of course, there is a cost for the extra curricular
activities that keep children safe, so mothers of old used
creativity and took up extra work to make participation
possible. Black mothers have alwaysgonet to work and used
ingenuity to make sure that their children could “float and
not be consumed by the river” whether it included chopping
cotton, cleaning homes, empting bed pans, preparing meals,
waiting tables or manning fast food counters. For certain,
we cannot afford to keep losing this many black children to
the system without personal sacrifice and hard work.
Third, when Moses could no longer be hidden, his mother
placed him in the boat she made (instead of bought), placed
it on the river and positioned his sister Miriam to quickly
enter the scene when summoned by Pharoah’s daughter to
assist in “drawing” (liberating?) the child from the water.
And because you can only liberate children that you love,
respect and understand (Kunjufu, 2005), Miriam was able to
persuade the royal daughter to utilize the baby’s own mother
to provide daycare and preschool educational services.
Reducing the chances of losing our children also requires
that we aggressively monitor them as Moses’ sister did for
him. We cannot allow children to spend unlimited time on the
streets and without knowing where they are, who their
friends might be and what type of peer influence they are
receiving.
The final lesson is this. Prayer is mandatory. Prayer also
works.
As a child, I have the vivid memory of my late mother who
would get down on her knees in prayer every single night. I
am thankful, that when I was too foolish, “grown,” or
educated to act right, that my “mama” – went to the Lord on
my behalf.
I know now, that I did not survive on my own, but in the
words of the old hymn:
Somebody Prayed for me.
Had me on THEIR mind.
And TOOK THE TIME to pray for me.
Mothers Day should enable us to search for grateful
memories. I am thankful for black mothers everywhere - young
and old, single mothers, homeless mothers, grandmothers,
godmothers, and surrogate or non-biological mothers –who
shielded, sacrificed, watched and prayed that black children
might live.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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