**This is a repost from 2014 with a few minor changes and additions**

**I am fully aware that not only our young men are negatively affected by the systemic racist ideologies in this country but today I chose to focus on the young men. Our sistahs are slain at an alarming rate as well and in general are just under as much pressure as we men. We have to do better protecting out sistahs like our ancestors protected their villages. Our sistahs don’t need just our physical protection but also protection in the workplace, in the media, in social media, in our homes and any place their physical, mental, or spiritual lives are under attack.**

Good morning today #Day26 of #BlackHistoryMonth I remember #TrayvonnMartin not simply just to commemorate his short life but to acknowledge all of the boys on the brink of adulthood who have been slain unjustly out of “fear” for life. So lets us remember #GeorgeStinney #EmmettTill #ScottsboroBoys #CentralPark5 #Gena6 #JordanDavis and I am fully aware that not all of the aforementioned were slain; however, let us use their memories or the memories of their struggle to fuel a positive trend in our homes and communities.

My hope for today is that we use it to begin an ANNUAL celebration focused on strengthening the brain power of Black young men. How can we do that? By using that money to buy a new book for our boys. Think of it as a “Day of Love for Black Boys”.

Moreover, this very month has one of, if not the most commercial holiday’s celebrated which in this case is female centered, but let us ponder momentarily the question, who demonstrates love to our male children and when? The image of the black male is consistently under attack and psychologically that is dangerous. So then let us create a counter measure by which we can fight that negative image. We can counter that with showing our Black male children love in the form of buying them BOOKS with POSITIVE images of themselves. But let us buy those BOOKS at BLACK BOOKSTORES so not only are we supporting our FUTURE we are supporting our PRESENT.

How are we supporting both FUTURE and PRESENT? We are building strong men for our FUTURE the way #FrederickDouglass suggested and supporting our PRESENT by keeping business owners open and hopefully hurting those companies that supported the “defense” of #TrayvonnMartin murderer whose name I refuse to speak in the same process. What did Brother Douglass say? It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. We know what this prison industrial complex has given us thus far let us counteract that on this day. “Day of Love for Black Boys”!!!