Boy in Viral Ferguson Photo Has Two Moms

• Family Profiles, Violence and Tragedy

You’ve probably seen the photo: a young Black boy exchanging a tearful hug with a White police officer at a protest about the shooting of a Black teen in Ferguson, Missouri. It was a small moment of hope at an otherwise bleak time. But did you know that the boy, 12-year-old Devonte Hart, has two moms?

The original photo posted at Oregon Live noted “his parents, Sarah and Jennifer Hart,” but not all subsequent news stories mentioned both parents. (CNN didn’t. ABC didn’t. CBS didn’t. MSNBC didn’t.)

Devonte was making a mark even before the famous photo, however. Chloe Johnson of New Zealand’s Paper Trail did a profile of him on November 10, 15 days before the photo was taken. He was born to a life of abuse and neglect, barely talking. The Harts adopted him and his two siblings seven years ago, and are raising a total of six children. His mom Jen told Paper Trail, “He has proven doctors, psychologists and teachers wrong. His future is most definitely not bleak, he is a shining star in this world. His light shines bright on everyone on his path.” His compassion is evident — he asked his moms if he could spend his 11th and 12th birthdays raising money for charity. He also has self-assurance in the face of racial stereotypes, as when a man in a grocery store assumed he was going to be a sports player when he grew up. Devonte refused to concede to the man’s opinion, and when pressed about what he did want to be, asserted, “I’m here to help people. I’m here to inspire. Now.”

It seems he’s doing just that.

Should it matter that he has two moms? In one sense, no. His actions stand on their own, and it’s entirely possible that he could have had different-sex parents. It goes to show, however, that we are all fellow travelers on the road to social justice — and that many paths intertwine to make that road. The Hart moms, who are both White, are clearly trying to be allies to people of color, including their own children. It also shows same-sex parents are as capable as any others of raising children of compassion and courage. On her Facebook page, Jen explained the family’s impetus for attending the Portland, Oregon protest about Ferguson where the picture was taken (by freelance photographer Johnny Nguyen):

This is a short snippet about trying to navigate the societal challenges of raising black children. We hit the streets yesterday with the intention of spreading love and kindness, and to remind (ALL) people that they matter in this world…. We heard that there was a peaceful protest happening not far from where we were. I asked the  kids if they wanted to attend and experience how a community comes together in times of racial tension and divide. This was met with incredibly mixed emotion. While we have raised the kids to live free from fear, take risks, and step outside their comfort zone, it would be ridiculous to deny that there are some very legitimate reasons that they would be apprehensive about being present in an environment surrounded by police and people that are emotionally charged. In the end, they decided they wanted to go….

I noticed Devonte was struggling…. My son has a heart of a gold, compassion beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, yet struggles with living fearlessly when it comes to the police and people that don’t understand the complexity of racism that is prevalent in our society. He wonders if someday when he no longer wears a Free Hugs sign around his neck, when he’s a full grown black male, if his life is in danger for simply being.

Go read the rest on her page and see her own photos of Devonte and the police officer. It’s an incredible piece you won’t want to miss.

(Thanks to Aimee Gelnaw of Compassionate Conversations for the tip about the Paper Trail article.)

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