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April Randolph

April Randolph is a mother of three who resides in Rochester, NY. She is the author of the Tasha and KK series of middle-grade fiction and her much-anticipated book Forgiveness is Free...Why Are You Saving It is scheduled for release this summer. You can follow April on her blog at lovingmiddleagedlife.com, aprilrandolph.com or @aprilwrites1 on Twitter.

Things I’m Forced to Tell My Black Son

When we go shopping after school, I tell my son he has to leave his backpack in the car. When he wants to take a walk past dark with his friends, I tell him “no." He’s not allowed to play with guns that aren’t clearly Super Soakers. If we’re stopped by the police because our headlight is out, I say, “Remember what I taught you.”

No, My Son Can’t Seek Cover from a Snowstorm—Because He’s African American & 14-Years-Old

"Just because you’re uncomfortable talking about it, doesn’t mean it no longer exists. Accept it. Talk about it. Change it. And don’t get caught outside in a snowstorm."