by Jendella Benson

Photographed by Jendella

Once upon a time I seriously considered not having children. “Why bring an innocent life into this world of tragedy and pain?” I reasoned. Now, as a mother-to-be, the thought of what this world has to offer my child still scares me, and yet the thought of what my child has to offer this world fills me with hope. I also wonder what I have to offer and what the culmination of my life experiences so far – I’m only in my mid-twenties – can bring to bear on raising another human being.

As someone who identifies as a black feminist, I’ve always had no doubt in my mind how I’d raise my daughter, should I have her, and much of this is put into practice as I interact with my many younger female relatives. But what about my son? Now that I’m 99%…