In the narrative, “My Mother’s Dreams for Her Son, and All Black Children”, author Hilton Als recalls his experiences growing up in Brooklyn.  His upbringing was defined by the quest to escape the cycle of poverty and violence and Als often struggled to conform to the expectation of being a black man.  This internal conflict is demonstrated when he states, “like any number of black boys in those neighborhoods, I grew up in a matrilineal society, where I had been taught the power – the necessity – of silence”.  The author’s description of Brownsville as a matrilineal society is a reference to the absence of a father that many families endured, including that of the author.  Not having his father around was significant to his childhood because it meant that Als’ mother had to raise him to be the “man of the house” – something she could not do.  This need for a father figure was exhibited when riots broke out in Brownsville and the author’s mother was protecting her daughters and was expecting her sons to protect them.  Despite being raised like his sisters, Als was suddenly expected to act differently: protect the family as society expects of a male.  By reflecting on how helpless he felt during the riots, the author demonstrates how not having a father impacted his upbringing. 

The author’s queerness was also a source of struggle growing up.  Als stated, “I don’t remember exactly how many times we moved; in those days, my focus was on trying to win people over, the better to protect my family, or—silently—trying to fend off homophobia, the better to protect myself. My being a “faggot” was one way for other people to feel better about themselves. My being a “faggot” let cops know what they weren’t.”  Being queer is significant to the author’s upbringing because he had to cope with the struggles of being both black and queer, not just the former.  Often, the people who called him “faggot” were other black males who, according to Als,  wanted to feel powerful in a society where they had no power.  Meeting the expectation of being a black man was difficult when he could not even gain their acceptance.  

One segment of the text that interested me was the one where Als describes when mayor John Lindsay came to inspect the damage of the Brownsville riots.  Lindsay approached Als to shake hands with him for a photograph.  While the author was thrilled to have grabbed the attention of the mayor, he also thought, “was my silent bewilderment over the fact that poverty and frustration could be an opportunity for a photograph, though no one asked us what it was like to lose a home or to dream of living in one.”   The author’s thoughts reflect the sentiments of much of the black community – that politicians have done little for their communities and are more concerned with their public perception rather than advancing the lives of African Americans.  I found it interesting how Als’ thoughts on politicians are still relevant today.  This year, Mayor De Blasio posed for pictures with business owners in Chinatown.  In those pictures, the people were describing the economic hardships they have endured because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Subsequent photos show the mayor turning away from them when he believed the media was no longer watching, all while a Chinatown business owner was still pleading his case.  The photo sequence demonstrates the indifference politicians show towards making substantial change, even when it is most needed.