Dear Grayson,

You may only be four and a half years old as I write this; but this will not always be the case. Today, you only know of Welch's fruit snacks, Dino-chicken nuggets, Paw Patrol, and Octonauts; but this will not always be the case. Right now, you are cute, your voice is that of a toddler, and you only stand about three and a half feet tall; but this will not always be the case. Today and tomorrow, you are Black and that will always be the case.

One day, the friends you play with may tell you that you do not fit in with them because you are Black. Something so pure as a child friendship will cause you to come to your parents asking us to explain what it means to be Black.

On another day, you may receive an A in a class, and someone will make the assumption that the knowledge did not come from within you, but you cheated and you just aren't capable of being intelligent because you are Black.

Son, you will work your hardest in the classroom and become a person that schools fawn over because of your brain, but a peer or teacher will question your intellect and tell you you only received this opportunity because you are Black.

There may be a day, when you are walking into a room of strangers, and they look at you as a football player, basketball player or some sort of sportsman without thinking of your merit as a scholar, simply because you are Black.

One day, you will be walking down the sidewalk, standing tall, strong, kind-hearted and sincere, but you will be viewed as a stranger that presents as a dangerous person, simply because you are Black.

Eventually, one day, you will be driving a car, you may or not be speeding or doing anything at all wrong, but you may get pulled over, simply because you are Black.

None, one, some, more or all of these scenarios may occur to you in your life as a Black person. Know that you are never to be ashamed of who you are, what you believe in, and where you come from. As long as your parents have life, we will teach you, protect you and love you!

Love,

Your dad, Jonathan