CLEVELAND — Black parents tell News 5 the situation following the Jayland Walker case can be extremely difficult since they have to explain to their children what happen.
Conversations also require them to teach their kids how to respond if confronted by the police.
“You want to live to fight another day. You want to be able to get through the situation,” said Jowan Smith, who’s the CEO of 1,000 Ties and a mom.
Feelings of heartbreak and frustration once again loom over black parents like Jowan Smith and Edwin Hubbard who must tough discussions with their children about race and how they need to interact with police in order to save their lives.
“I don’t necessarily want to raise young docile men; however, I want to have a conversation that I want to have the opportunity to see my children every single day,” said Edwin Hubbard, who’s the Incoming NAACP Executive Director, a Board Member for 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland and a father.
This conversation Hubbard describes is often referenced as “the talk.”
During this time – Hubbard says he and other parents must teach their kids how to respond to police.
“You don’t have the opportunity to determine how that interaction is going to go, but ultimately you know compliant is going to be the best possible scenario in order for you to get home,” said Hubbard.
For Jowan Smith, she tells News 5’s Remi Murrey she’s been having "the talk" with her son since he was in middle school.
“As a mother, it’s heartbreaking to me to think that my big baby, my teddy bear could come off as aggressive to someone just because he’s 6-foot-4,” said Smith.
Smith says this conversation can be even more challenging when history continues to repeat itself.
“He should be able to make it home,” said Smith. “I shouldn’t have to stress every day when my son leaves the house, hoping that he doesn’t run into a cop that’s having a bad day.”
Village of Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy understands events like the Jayland Walker case won’t make it easy to build trust between police officers and the community.
That’s why he encourages everyone regardless of race to have a conversation as a first step.
“And, that means that the parents telling their children, hey, you can trust these police officers and if you disagree with them, then come to me and we'll go and we'll talk to the police chief or we'll talk to somebody at the police department or we'll take the matter to court. There's a manner in which that that can be done,” said Village of Newburgh Heights Chief of Police, John Majoy.
Smith echoes the same message as Majoy.
“You might be totally innocent but wait to fight your point until you get to court,” said Smith. “Take the ticket. Take it on the chin, bite your tongue and fight your side once you get to court, but you live for another day because you just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
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