Is it just me, or have you noticed it too?

Dominant culture seems to pride itself on teaching kids to hold it all together.

We’re encouraged to push kids to excel in school, be leaders in the classroom, and compete on the field. We teach them to be strong, to be tough, to never fold.

But behind all that excellence, many of our children are quietly unraveling.

They’re carrying the cost of achievement, expectations, and visibility sometimes without the emotional safety of healthy attachment and true belonging.

We’re talking about:

• Rising rates of anxiety and depression in children who seem “high performing”
• Anxiety and Burnout hitting as early as middle school
• Perfectionism masking deep shame
• Disconnected family rhythms in the name of “success”
• A distorted sense of self-worth built on praise, not inner truth

And while this pressure shows up in many ways, it often reflects a deeper shift—one where we’ve moved away from what has always rooted us. Because the more we align with dominant norms that define success as performance, independence, and constant productivity, the more we risk losing the wisdom that has long held our families together.

Black families have always drawn strength from connection. From community. From the village. But now, we’re being pushed to raise children in isolation—as if the nuclear unit is the standard and achievement is the end goal.

Parenting Black Children Requires a Radical Shift

Here’s the truth: Black parents cannot afford to parent according to dominant culture. Because dominant culture was never built to meet our children’s needs—or ours.

At its core, dominant culture is based on power and control. It prioritizes authority and compliance in ways that often make real connection harder to build. It encourages parenting strategies that focus on managing behavior instead of understanding what’s driving it.

And when we absorb those norms without questioning them, we can unintentionally adopt approaches that disconnect us from our children and overlook their deeper needs.

A More Solid Foundation

Caring about kids is in my blood.

I’m the daughter of a public school educator and a child psychologist. I grew up understanding how systems and stories shape what kids believe about themselves—at home, at school, and in the world.

I took that understanding into my work as a media executive. And when I became a mother, something shifted even more. I didn’t want to just work in media. I wanted to reimagine it.

I did that by founding a children’s media company called HueGo—a space where storytelling is rooted in representation with depth and agency, media that builds real critical thinking, and stories that shift cultural norms. Beneath every show, book, or character is a set of values, and for too long they’ve been quietly shaped by the norms of white supremacy.

But you don’t have to start a media company to raise kids differently—you just need a clear set of principles to guide you. Whether you’re raising a child, teaching a class, or shaping a curriculum—the following principles will help you give kids what they actually need to grow: safety, connection, and a sense of their own power.

7 Universal Principles That Guide Everything We Do

The HueGo way to empower kids is a science-backed framework that’s more than our creative philosophy, it’s a way of parenting, teaching, and showing up that anyone can practice—starting right now.

Our kids don’t just need to be prepared for the world—they need to be protected from the parts of it that disconnect them from who they are. When we return to these truths, we don’t just raise better kids. We raise a better world starting at home.

Inner Power – Kids who trust their own voice don’t need to chase outside approval.
Authentic Expression – When we make honesty safe, our kids don’t have to hide to be loved.
Relational Leadership – Kids follow connection, not control.
Graceful Consequences – Accountability without shame creates wisdom, not fear.
Inherent Worth – Your child is already enough—before the grades, awards, or perfect behavior.
Joyful Growth – Life is more than milestones. It’s in the messy, magical process of becoming.
Reflective Empowerment – Giving kids back their time builds emotional regulation and a strong mindset

These are the 7 principles every Black parent deserves to know—not because we’re getting it wrong, but because the world around us is.

Get Your Free Guide

I’ve put together a free guide that includes a simple breakdown of each principle plus a reflection checklist to keep you aligned with the parent you want to be—even on the hard days.

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being intentional.

Because in a world that often misreads, misunderstands, or tries to manage our children—we need tools that help us see them clearly, love them deeply, and raise them with purpose.