African American Parenting as a Path to Love and Liberation

 -Samara George

Professor Harris 

English 2017-64187 

24 April 2025 

African American Parenting as a Path to Love and Liberation  

Readers are called here today to analyze trauma stemming from a generation of oppressed Individuals who shaped the world we live in today; African Americans. For clarification, the term “African American” not only stems from an ethnic group but also embodies a shared cultural identity shaped by historical experiences, resilience, and a long-standing commitment to survival and self-definition. Understanding one's trauma calls for the acknowledgment of where those wounds originated from. Rooted in the legacy of slavery, segregation, and systemic injustice, the African American identity reflects a collective struggle for liberation that permeates every side of life—including parenting. African American parenting is not only about raising children but also about cultivating love as a transformative force capable of healing generational trauma and affirming Black humanity in a society that routinely 

looks to deny it. 

Slavery was abolished in 1865 although the cultural identity that encompasses being enslaved reigned in African American households allowing for systematic oppression to dictate their parenting methods. Raising children to fear no one except for God although implementing an identity where Caucasians are to be respected without returning the favor is a contradiction within itself. Bell Hooks is an African American author who delved into Love and Liberation specifically focusing on black communities in her novel Salvation. Hooks touched on the identity crisis that follows being raised in black household remarking “from slavery until this present day, black folks have felt conflicting tensions between survival needs and the demands of the heart” (Hooks). African American children are raised in households where the sacrificial dinner justifies as an “I love you” creating a mentality of survival as nurture. Instead of nurturing individuality that reflects systematic oppression, liberating parenting empowers the child to see beyond a skin color, specifically beyond a mentality that craves submission. Love encourages liberation and what's more liberating than reclaiming traditions and cultural beliefs that were integrated into a society where the pigmentation of skin defined morality?  

Hooks defines love as “the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth". Giving new life to a world clothed in resentment and regret is an active path to extending yourself although one cannot cultivate loving children without proffering the same grace and kindness throughout childhood. Love needs to be grounded in self-actualization and empowerment rather than assertiveness and control. The controlling psyche stems from a world where control was a foreign power used against enslaved individuals to elicit structure. Generations transitioning from enslavement to being freed assimilated their households into the embodiment of discipline, and survival—often relying on strict, authoritative parenting as a means of protection from an unwelcoming society. As opposed to uplifting resentments from the past, African American parents should primarily focus on the influence of pushing boundaries towards racism, discriminatory laws, and even economic instability. Love Does Not Abuse states, “In her incisive writings, hooks spoke to these questions, Love within the family, she argues, manifests as rejecting the manipulative, selfish use of familial power differentials” (R.L Stollar).  As a community of healing individuals, African Americans through liberation can provide guidance for children without exemplifying fear of performance.  

Revolutionary acts aren't just performed by historical figures adorning textbooks, instead even the simplistic act of parenting with intentional love, justice, and emotional presence can become a radical form of resistance within marginalized communities. An article published on African American parenting stated, “Despite the growing influence of peers, studies consistently show that parenting plays a more substantial role in influencing adolescent behavior than any other factor” (Brown). Children accept irrespective realities that parents foster within their homes as normal. If Black children are encouraged to acknowledge white supremacist norms and expectations as parts of their daily routines, then their life is sold to an identity trapped in trauma. Being African American is not a burden to carry but a legacy to honor through liberation. As a community African Americans need to acknowledge the need for emotional intelligence whilst raising children in a world that struggled to accept them. Hooks emphasized the need for affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and most importantly trust when approaching adolescence. Taking a liberating approach not only heals but transforms—turning everyday parenting into a radical act of cultural restoration and personal deliverance.  

Love-centered parenting within African American families has profound psychological and social implications, especially when contrasted with authoritarian methods rooted in fear or trauma. Children raised in homes where voices are affirmed and respected create an adult with a keen sense of self-worth and resilience. Research suggests “Fear-based parenting often results in children with low self-esteem difficulties in friendship and romantic relationships, poor decision-making skills, and difficulties with risk assessment” (Psych Central). Hooks often remarked that love is simply not a feeling but an action emphasizing the need for intentional parenting. Studies conducted revealed that children from Black families experienced significantly better mental health when parenting is grounded in emotional availability and support. Parenting Philosophy stated “Parents are accountable for the life they procreate but their children do not automatically become their property. It is in the best interest of a child to recognize their autonomy and let them voice their opinions” (Ghosh). As a society African Americans need to foster an environment that creates adults that are determined and unbound by fear and expectations of societal norms.  

 Parenting with the transformative power of intentional care creates a weapon within oppressed communities that actively disengages systematic oppressors. By choosing to love as both a political and spiritual practice, African American parents not only nurture whole, self-actualized children but also disrupt cycles of generational trauma .The impact of liberating parenting extends well beyond individual households—radiating through entire communities  shaping future generations  to live with freedom, think with clarity, and love with intention. Shifting from a society plagued by racism and emotional repression liberates generations from burdens that were never meant to be carried. Parents, it's time to Allow for black adolescence to grow without being bound by the shackles of injustice. It's time to preserve African Americans as the strong-willed individuals' God created them to be. 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited 

Ghoshhttps://feminisminindia.com/author/rohinig/, Rohini. “The Parenting Philosophy of Bell Hooks: There Is No Love without Justice.” Feminism in India, 16 Sept. 2021, feminisminindia.com/2021/09/16/the-parenting-philosophy-of-bell-hooks-there-is-no-love-without-justice/. 

Stollar, R.L. “Love Does Not Abuse: The Parenting Philosophy of Bell Hooks – R.L. Stollar.” Rl.Stollar.Com, rlstollar.com/2020/12/06/love-does-not-abuse-the-parenting-philosophy-of-bell-hooks/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025. 

“The Effects of Authoritarian Parenting Style on Black Teenage Males | Autores.” Autores, 2024, www.auctoresonline.org/article/the-effects-of-authoritarian-parenting-style-on-black-teenage-males. 

 

Marie, Simone. “Fear-Based Parenting: Consequences and How to Avoid It.” Psych Central, 26 Apr. 2022, psychcentral.com/blog/discipline-without-fear. 

 

Hooks, Bell. Salvation: Black People and Love. New York, William Morrow, 2001. 

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