The answer is yes. Due to the historical ramifications surrounding African Americans in this country as well as the current social injusticies that still exist, it is absolutely harder or we must agree that it is at least different to raise a Black child in America.  That is not to say that raising children of other ethnic backgrounds is easy, but Black parents have to deal with other issues that  many other parents don't.  This is not just my opinion, this is actual fact based on years of research and the current state of social conditions surrounding many Black communities. 

I personally come from a middle class Black family where I was surrounded by options that varied from the street life to  college life.  I chose the latter based on my upbringing but many of us don't have positive examples to follow. Instead we follow what has been taught to us and passed down from our ancestors.  For example, many Black parents still whoop, whip, or hit their children as a primary form of discipline.  Although, I have never had a whoopin', I was raised in a large family where that was the general rule of thumb.  For years, I never really saw anything wrong with it until I got a little older.  Truthfully, it is a form of discipline passed down from slavery that I choose not to utilize. I don't condemn anyone for the way they raise their children as long as they aren't abusive but I would suggest trying something new or at least adding depth to the disciplinary repertoire.  With that being said, I was introduced to amazing program created by  Dr. Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D called the "Effective Black Parenting Program."  After speaking many parents that went through this program, I was convinced that Dr. Alvy had something here.  I was so convinced that once he offer me the opportunity  to co-write a book with him that would tell the life-changing stories of  these parents,  there was no way I could turn down this amazing opportunity. 

With that beind said, written by Dr. Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D. with Earnest Harris, Lisa Nicole Bell, and myself,  The Soulful Parent: Raising Healthy, Happy and Successful African American Children brings the excitement and goodness of what the Center for the Improvement of Child Caring (CICC)’s Effective Black Parenting Program has done for numerous parents nationwide, through stories about how they have used the teachings of the program to create happier homes and happier and healthier relationships with their children. Their stories are accompanied by illustrations of what the program teaches, so that you too can make use of the skills and parenting ideas of the program in your relationships with your children.