THRIVING Melanin Family Magazine September 2018 | Page 37

HOGAN FAMILY/ SEPTEMBER 18
 I wanted better and
wanted a soulmate who
had the same morals
and values. We never
wanted to be a statistic
but rather an
inspiration for our
children and the
world.
~Toushonta Hogan
Q: How important is Being
Black in your family?
A: We make sure they know
they have to go the extra
mile, just a little bit harder in
whatever they do. They can
not be mediocre but go all
out. Teaching our kids our
family traditions, and having
them pay attention to the
community we live in, as we
live within a Black
neighborhood. We are always
talking about the
gentrification that we see
happening around us. I make
sure we do a lot of things
within our community, and
embrace as much as we can 
within our community. I just
want them to see that our
community THRIVES and
can THRIVE just like all the
other communities.
Q: What is the state of the
Black Family in America right
now?
A: It seems like the Black
Family is shifting. When we
were coming up it seemed
like a lot of Black Families
were separated and
operating in two homes or
without one parent
completely. Although, we are
moving forward to do and be
better, we are still faced with 
fatherless homes, drugs,
crimes, poverty and so much
more. Our family structure,
Income, Education and
Values have taken a back
seat.  I (Toushonta Hogan)
was raised in a single parent
home, in poverty with my
mom. We rented a room in a
home while my mom
received government
assistance. It was imperative
as I got older, I would not
raise my children the same.
Millennials are now having
conversations, and going
deeper to prevent those
statistics and what their
parents went through, but
we still have work to do.
SEPTEMBER
2018 • THRIVE |
35