This Video of Black Parents Explaining Police Relations to Their Kids Will Bring You to Tears

No parent should have to explain to their child how to avoid being harmed by law enforcement. Unfortunately, this has become a necessary conversation in black households in America. In this poignant video, black parents discuss with their children what they should do if they encounter a police officer.

An 8-year-old girl recites for us the lines her father has taught her to say to the police while she puts her hands up in the air to show that she is unarmed. Her dad explains to her that although there are many good police officers, some of them aren't great people. He tells her a story about the first time he was arrested: "I remember being put in handcuffs for something that had literally nothing to do with me. . . . They threw me on the ground and busted my lip," her father tells her. While listening to his story, she gets very upset and scared and runs over to her dad.

The video is filled with parents having to tell their children about the harsh and unfair reality that they may be put in danger because of the color of their skin. One young girl gets incredibly emotional because she fears for her male teenage cousin's life. "I'm worried about him now," she says through tears. "I don't want him to be shot. I don't want him to go to jail."

This heartbreaking video is a reminder that if you're lucky enough not to have to have these conversations with your children, you should still be aware that other parents do. It's hard not to cry as you watch these children and their parents feel genuinely afraid for their safety.