Imani Perry opens up about black motherhood in ‘Breathe: A Letter to my Black Sons’

In her new book, “Breathe: A Letter to my Black Sons,” author Imani Perry writes of the challenges and joys of being a black mother to two teenage boys, Issa and Freeman.

Perry writes in the opening pages, “No matter how many say so, my sons, you are not a problem…Mothering you is not a problem. It is a gift. A vast one.” Throughout the letter she raises issues of police brutality and the danger of calling the police with black sons in the house.

She spoke about the necessity of teaching her sons how to navigate a world of whiteness and the legacy of the black man with Kerri Miller on Wednesday morning.

Guest:

• Imani Perry is a professor of African American studies at Princeton and the author of many books. Her new book is "Breathe: A Letter to My Sons"

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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