Father, educator pens essay 'Lessons for my Black son' about police violence against African-Americans

FOX 2 - Growing up as a Black male in America and learning to deal with police. It is a conversation that many Black men believe serve as a reality check about their status in society.

"If I get pulled over by police, what are you supposed to do?" said Terrance Martin to his son.

"Stay in my seat, don't say anything, listen to the police officer," said Terrance Martin, Jr.

It is also a lesson in learning how to survive.

"(There is) no such thing as a routine visit to store, there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop," said Martin, Sr. "At any given time, you could be harmed or killed."

 As the president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, Martin is Concerned for himself and his son, a smart 13-year-old with a bright future. But his innocence and youth are being chipped away every time he hears about another Black person killed by police.

It is so concerning he and his friends are talking about it.

"We have conversations sometimes on the phone or when we're playing a game and we think what if that were our parents or us when we grow up, and how can we change it," he said.
 
Martin recently wrote an essay for his union's newsletter called "Lessons for My Black Son." In the essay he wrote, "Too many people see people like us, not as human, but as a threat." 

"I wrote it because I got tired of seeing Black people, men and women, being killed at the hands of police," he said. "At some point this could be my son, or me."
 
This father and educator wants to see more investment in community programs and less investment in police. 

"What are some ways to redistribute some of the funds from policing to programs that can really make a difference for children and the community," he said.
 
And as this father and son work to navigate their future together. Despite what they see along the way, they remain hopeful.
 
"I want to tell the people that change is coming and that sooner or later they will realize we can make an impact on the world," Martin, Jr.  said. 

"Without any hope," his father said, "What is there for the next generation."