It’s a Boy!
Stan Husted, Matthew 25 Task Force
Many of you know that Todd, my son and his wife, Bree, became first-time parents on March 7. Barrett Alan Husted was born healthy. Mother Bree is doing well. About a week after Barrett was born, Todd told me about the specialized baby stuff they were loaned by a friend. “It cost $1,800, and it does all these things to keep the baby safe and let us know when he is awake.”
He was so happy, and he should be. I did not share with him my thoughts at that moment. I was thinking that if he were Black, he would have been born with many strikes against him. First, Black women in 2021 were three times more likely to die from childbirth than were White women, according to the CDC.
Mr. Joan Costa-i-Font, BBC News on March 23, said, “The maternal mortality rate spike in the US in 2021 was the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of events between a deadly pandemic, racial inequality, comparatively low health insurance coverage, and high health insurance costs…
The insurance design is to be blamed for the excessive barriers that women [in the US] face when pregnant", he said. "It's basically a system that is not giving care to the ones most at need. It provides great care to the wealthy, but low income care is below standards."
Looking ahead to preschool, what biases does a Black child face? In the March 13, East Bay Times, the headlines read for California, “Report cites bias in preschool discipline. Kids of color are much likelier to face harsh punishment.” The article continues,”…not all small children get the benefit of the doubt when they act up in class or on the playground. Some of them are kicked out of school, perhaps derailing their education. …Preschool suspensions and expulsions disproportionately impact children of color, research shows, particularly Black boys; this is fundamentally an issue of equity. Overall, Black preschoolers are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended than White preschoolers, according to federal data.” This is preschool!
Once the Black child gets a little older, his chances of a healthy and safe life do not improve. According to Joshua Gordon, in an article from the National Institutes of Mental Health in Sept 2020, “One often overlooked aspect of the rising rates of suicide in the U.S. is its impact on youth — and in particular, its impact on Black youth. Black people face increased rates of risk factors, including experiences of racism, higher rates of unemployment and financial and food insecurity, disparities in other aspects of health, and limited access to care, all of which result in an increased burden of mental illness in Black communities.
“As of 2018, suicide became the second leading cause of death in Black children aged 10-14, and the third leading cause of death in Black adolescents aged 15-19. By combining data from 2001 to 2015, researchers were able to examine suicides among children ages 12 and younger and found that Black children were more likely to die by suicide than their White peers.”
I could write more on how a Black boy in the U.S. has the odds stacked against him being able grow up safe and healthy, but I will mention one more, and this is important! Every Black son receives “The Talk”. Parents tell him about what to do and what not to do when the police stop him. We have read often what has happened to some Black men when the police stop them. As a White father, I never even thought about such a conversation with my son.
Following up on last month’s article, PAL (Pray, Acknowledge, Learn), I hope this helps all of us acknowledge and learn how unfair life can be; much more so for people of color.
