In the Wake of Garner and Brown, Here's a New Kind of Parent-Child Lesson

Three parents give their sons "The Talk" in this poignant public service announcement for New York-based youth development organization Brother/Sister Sol. Not that talk, though. This is the one African-American parents have had with their teenage boys for generations -- the one about how to act during the police interactions they're statistically more likely to have. The safety guidelines, including "always be extra respectful, even if they're not," may not be intuitive, but these mothers and fathers still feel compelled to remind their kids to "get home safe." Sadly, for some, the police may be an obstacle in doing so.

The situation of the African-American families proves particularly distressing in the spot when followed by the scene of a Caucasian father-son conversation, in which dad reminds his boy to reach out to the police if he ever feels unsafe.

The message proves especially timely as Americans protest the deaths of Ferguson, Mo. native Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a policeman, and Staten Islander Eric Garner, who died by asphyxiation at the hands of officers.

Brother/Sister Sol initially commissioned this work, out of Saatchi and Saatchi New York, as a part of its efforts to reform the New York Police Department's "Stop & Frisk" policy, which allows officers to stop and search anyone they deem suspicious of possession of something illegal.

The campaign continues on a website as well as on social media where the hashtag #TalkAboutTheTalk can be used to raise awareness and continue the conversation.