Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: For the love of our sons / George Yancy -- I. Reflections. -- Black mother/sons / Sara Lomax-Reese -- Once white in America / Jane Lazarre -- A bottle of Mike Brown and Robin Williams / Shelly Bell -- Dark radiance / Becky Thompson and LaMar Delandro -- Why being the lone Black friend of whites will not protect you / Noliwe Rooks -- The box / Tracey Reed Armant -- White mama, Black sons / Heather Johnson -- Watching and waiting / Nicole McJamerson -- The trouble I've seen...and why it matters / Meta G. Carstarphen -- Inside/outside / Susan Hadley -- Black and blue : stressing through to dialogue / Deborah Binkley-Jackson -- A Black Jewish boy facing manhood / Jane Anna Gordon -- II. Essays. -- Sacrificial lambs : how many dead bodies is enough? / Carol E. Henderson -- Reflections of Black motherhood : birthing Black sons / Linda D. Tomlinson -- The war within : respect and the predicament of mothering Black sons / Newtona (Tina) Johnson -- A long ways from home? / Michele Moody-Adams -- T.H.U.G. (talented, humanistic, unique, gifted) : anthropology, sentiments, and narratives of Black mothers and sons / Elisha Oliver -- A fierce love : the unique process of nurturing, educating, and protecting our Black sons / Tracey McCants Lewis -- Through the valley of the shadow of death / Veronica T. Watson -- Mothers and their Black sons : struggling against fears, sorrows, and hope / Blanche Radford Curry -- Regarding Henry / T. Denean Sharpley Whiting -- III. Poems. -- A love poem for Michael Brown / Elisheba Johnson -- Lamentations from a Black mom / Dyan Watson -- for trayvon / Treasure Shields Redmond -- News of you, my son / Sharyn Skeeter -- Death passes twice / Autumn Redcross -- IV. Letters. -- Dear William / Gretchen Givens Generett -- A letter to CJ / Regina Sims Wright -- Killing/saving/loving Black boys / Karsonya Wise Whitehead -- Anger / Jacki Lynn Baynks -- A letter to Dr. King : please keep breathing / Maria del Guadalupe Davidson -- A letter to my sons / Dawn Herd-Clark.

"Our Black Sons Matter is a powerful collection of original essays, letters, and poems that addresses both the deep joys and the very real challenges of raising black boys today. From Trayvon Martin to Tamir Rice, the list of young black men who have suffered racial violence continues to grow. Young black people also deal with profound stereotypes and structural barriers. And yet, young black men are often paradoxically revered as icons of cultural cool. Our Black Sons Matter features contributions from women across the racial spectrum who are raising or have raised black sons--whether biologically their sons or not. The book courageously addresses painful trauma, challenges assumptions, and offers insights and hope through the deep bonds between mothers and their children. Both a collective testimony and a collective love letter, Our Black Sons Matter sends the message that black lives matter and speaks with the universal love of all mothers who fear for the lives of their children."--Provided by publisher.