I turned their dreams into goals by asking them to put a time frame on it. We then worked backward from their goal to present-day circumstances, and set milestones for them to achieve along the path toward their goal.

Can one give back the fearless abandon of boyhood in country where Skittles can be perceived as a weapon? I do not know. But perhaps, we might begin with this simple ideological shift: a boy is a boy.

Waiting on government for a solution is like waiting on Superman; neither will rescue our Black boys. That's our job.

I've done my best to protect my son by teaching him to anticipate prejudice and understand that for some, his skin color is an invitation to scorn and mistreatment. Still, he has faced harassment. He's grown accustomed to this.

I do not know Sybrina Fulton. Nor can I claim to understand the depth of her pain. Yet, we share a deep connection. You see, Ms. Fulton is living my nightmare. A constant worry that has lingered in the back of my mind since the birth of my eldest son, some sixteen years ago.

I am scared. It is not a new fear, but one that has never gone away, and is heightened as I look at my three beautiful boys. These precious ones, for whom my husband and I have lovingly and willingly sacrificed much.

Whenever someone thinks they have few bullet points of supreme wisdom that can save the world, sane people instantly roll their eyes. The insanely cur...