Dear Kairee,
I want to start off by saying how much I love you, even though you annoy me and it's your job to annoy me. You balance my life by being my one brother out of four sisters, so I cherish you. I cherish your existence, I cherish our bond, I cherish everything about you. As your older sister, I have also cherish the responsibility to guide and keep you safe. But honestly, in the world we live in now, this is the first time I don't know how to keep you safe and that scares me.
I'm scared because you're growing up in a changing world. You're a 14 year old black boy who looks and sounds like a 21 year old black man. This, unfortunately, makes you a target. I hope and pray that you'll never be seen as target practice. You're more than that. You have so much more of that in you. You're intelligent (a little nerd like me), funny, eccentric, jovial, enthusiastic, eager and a little naive. You see the good in the world, but you're a little blind to the bad. I'm writing this letter to you to expose you that darkness.
First, I want to mention that a population of our country has always been racist, sexist, homophobic, bigots, just plain ignorant. The only difference these days is that under the influence of the "President-Elect," this population of the country have advanced to publicly displaying these aggressions without a care in the world.
I can't promise you that you won't ever encounter these aggressions, but if you ever do there are some things I want you to know.
Don't ever doubt your self-worth. They might make you feel inferior, but I want you to remember that you matter. Your life matters. Your opinion matters.
Think before you respond. If anyone knows about your temper, it would be me. I know how we joke around and I make you mad, you make me mad, but then 5 minutes later we're playing videogames together. People won't care about your feelings, bro. They want to provoke you. Don't be intimidated. Count to 10 before you react. Don't give in to them because you're better than them.
Lastly, don't ever feel defeated. Be vigilante and ready for anything. Be observant of your surroundings. I can't be with you all the time so this is my way of ensuring your safety. It's okay be scared, but always have control of yourself. Love yourself. Never harbor hatred for anyone. Love trumps hate. I love you bro.
