Breathe: A Letter to My Sons, by Imani Perry.
Another beautiful memoir from a Black parent dedicated to their children. The way Imani writes about her boys is breathtaking, and the way she details the importance of ancestry, the importance of living as the greatest defense against a world that wants you to die, the importance of making your goal in life to be one of impact instead of consumption… all of this is convicting. My heart always floods at the thought of Black children being loved as passionately as Imani has made it clear that she loves her boys, and I get weepy when I think about the protection that some Black children get to experience because I know that that is not something that is pervasive. I wish it was. I wish all Black children had the kind of parenthood that Imani provides. I know this is not possible for reasons that are not the fault of Black parents, but I’m so happy that Imani has written this so that those of us who do become parents of Black children will have a compass of sorts.
If you really wanna crush yourself, read this and Between the World and Me back to back.