Iyanla Vanzant discusses parenthood and ‘Daddyless Daughters’ on the ‘Melissa Harris-Perry’ show

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From MSNBC:

The value of black men and boys in the United States has been at the forefront of national conversation in the days following the George Zimmerman verdict. Sadness and anger among activists and celebrities alike has moved them to speak out about inequality in the justice system.

Last Friday, in a surprise press conference, President Obama relayed his personal experiences as a black man in America. Social media also sparked online efforts—such as Essence magazine’s #HeIsNotASuspect hashtag, where women were asked to post photos of the black men in their lives on Twitter.

In the middle of this national conversation, host Melissa Harris-Perry asked Saturday about another group that seems to have been forgotten.

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“What about our black girls and those who mother them?” Harris-Perry asked author and spiritual life coach Iyanla Vanzant, host of Oprah Winfrey Network’s Iyanla: Fix My Life, in Saturday’s “One on One” interview on Melissa Harris-Perry. “What about the struggles and public safety questions faced by young black women?”

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Vanzant commented on the relationship between black girls and their mothers using the newest episode of her show as an example. In a clip, Vanzant confronts Brenda Thompson, mother to R&B singer Syleena Johnson, about her behavior towards her daughter. In the end, Thompson opens up about her own emotions, admitting that she thinks “sadness is weak.”

Read the rest of this story on MSNBC.