A young black man posted a moving TikTok video of all the 'unwritten rules' his mother taught him to follow
- A teenager's video of all the "unwritten rules" his mother taught him to follow as a young black man has been viewed over 10.8 million times on TikTok.
- Cameron Welch, from Houston, was taught not to put his hands in his pockets, not to touch anything he's not buying, not to be out too late, and more.
- "It is a required conversation our parents must have to ensure that we come home alive," Welch told Buzzfeed.
An 18-year-old's video of all the "unwritten rules" his mother taught him to follow as a young black man has been viewed over 10.8 million times on TikTok.
Cameron Welch, from Houston, posted the video on May 29, and it's struck a chord with many.
Conscious of how young black men are treated, Welch's mother raised him not to put his hands in his pockets, not to touch anything he's not buying, not to be out too late, and more.
Watch the full video here:
Welch's mom's 'unwritten rules' for young black men:
"Don't put your hands in your pockets.
"Don't put your hoodie on.
"Don't be outside with no shirt on.
"Check in with your people; it don't matter even if you're down the street.
"Don't be out too late.
"Don't touch anything you're not buying.
"Never leave the store without a receipt or a bag, even if it's just a pack of gum.
"Never make it look like there's an altercation between you and someone else.
"Never leave the house without your ID.
"Don't drive with a wifebeater on. Don't drive with a du-rag on. Don't go out in public with neither.
"Don't ride with the music too loud. Don't stare at a Caucasian woman.
"If a cop stops you randomly and starts questioning you, don't talk back, just compromise.
"If you ever get pulled over, hands on the dashboard and ask if you can get your license and registration out."
"I want people to understand the type of things my mom has to instill in me because my people continue to be judged by the color of our skin and not the content of our character, as Martin Luther King Jr. said," Welch told Buzzfeed.
"It is a required conversation our parents must have to ensure that we come home alive.
"Our voices are heard but not felt by the people. We endure too much pain and hurt to just be heard — we need you to feel just a fragment of what my people feel on a day-to-day basis in order to get meaningful change.
"I believe if you felt the bottled-up emotions of silence that our country makes us hold in, then we can make real change, because not one race should ever feel this way."
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