oct 15, 2016 - Jesmyn Ward's son is born

Description:

While this was an event that filled Ward with great joy, she was also filled with sadness, fear, and anger. Ward says "He had never taken a breath, and I was already mourning him" (Ward). She knew that soon enough society would go from viewing her son as cute and harmless baby to a scary black man. In order to protect him and give him the best chance of making it to adulthood, she would have to take away his childhood at age 10 and introduce him to the realities of living as a young black man in America. She must educate him on his " ghostly brothers" such as Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till. Both of their lives were cut short just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ward was angry because her son was born into a world where for centuries black children have been denied a childhood and this would be the reality for her son. As soon as her son was born all she could say to him was "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” (Ward) because she could not completely protect him from what lies ahead.