A Letter to a Future Son

This flow follows Austin's effort to imagine her unborn son as a loved child while preparing to confront the racism that will shape his life.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Imagining His Personality

Imagining His Personality A child's possible futures Austin wonders whether her son will play sports, read constantly, climb trees, or share his family's artistic interests. She and Tommie imagine his laugh, eyes, and place in their family. Wonder before warning Their anticipation centers on a child's developing personality rather than on racial danger. This joyful imagining makes the conversations they have avoided feel all the more difficult.

The Talk Deferred

The Talk Deferred Questions avoided Austin and Tommie have not yet discussed the first time their son may be called a racial slur or stopped by police because he looks suspicious. They would rather focus on his humanity than on the ways others may deny it. An unavoidable preparation They know they will eventually have to explain the world to him. Their hesitation expresses love and fear together: they want to protect a child whose safety they cannot guarantee.

A Home of Black Love

A Home of Black Love Joy made ordinary Austin imagines dancing, laughter, soul food, music, movies, and family rituals filling their home. These details promise a child's life that is richer than the dangers imposed from outside. A sustaining inheritance She wants her son to enter a community of Black love that can remind him who he is. The home cannot control how the world treats him, but it can surround him with affirmation and belonging.

The Mother's Limits

The Mother's Limits Protection for now Austin recognizes that her unborn son is currently sheltered within her body, a form of protection she will not be able to maintain after he is born. She asks him to stay safe and grow strong. Fear and anticipation She and Tommie are frightened and excited at once. Their love cannot abolish racial danger, but it helps them welcome the child without allowing fear to define all that he may become.

A Promise of Witness

A Promise of Witness Welcome into community Austin promises that her family will welcome her son into a divine community of hope and Black love. They will remind him that he deserves joy, love, and adventure. Love alongside truth The letter does not promise a world free from racism. Instead, it promises that he will not face it without parents and community who affirm his worth and tell the truth about the danger.

While Austin's son is still in the womb

During the pregnancy, before their son is born

As Austin plans life with her newborn son

Late in Austin's pregnancy

At the close of Austin's letter to her unborn son