Please Don't Kill My Black Son, Please

Sprung from Wabuke’s Hairpin viral essay, “Five Moments in the Life of a Black Mother”: a deeply poignant memoir in essays exploring the cultural, historical, and personal trauma of Black motherhood in America.


When Hope Wabuke became a mother, she was thrilled—and yet she could not separate her excitement and love from her anxiety. She knew the names of the unarmed Black boys and girls lost in recent years: Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, Jordan Davis, Ayana Davis, Renisha McBride, Elijah El-Amin, Ahmaud Arbery—and on and on and on. She knew the worst the world was capable of doing to her son. In the years since his birth, Wabuke has confronted first-hand the unique difficulties of protecting and raising her son in the midst of an abusive relationship with his father. With a stunning personal excavation and journalistic rigor, Please Don’t Kill My Black Son, Please wrestles with how America’s violent social and structural inequality has impacted the most vulnerable among us: children and their mothers.

From being followed in stores to navigating the cruel family court system, this book is a testament to the unique reality of being a Black mother to a Black son in America, where racism and violence live at the surface, as does fear for your child’s physical, emotional, and mental safety. As Wabuke traces her own life as a Black woman, scholar, single mother, and domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor, these unflinching essays reflect on the actual impacts of anti-Black racism and the distinctive perils Black mothers are facing. Engaging with the last decade of the Black Lives Matter movement and this country’s ongoing political reckoning, Wabuke maps her personal journey navigating systematic oppression and teaches her son not only to survive, but to thrive.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs