Jennifer Hudson Opens Up About Raising a Black Teen Son and the 'Many Layers He Has to Learn'

Jennifer Hudson tells Real Simple about her sharing historical moments with her son as he navigates life as a Black teenage boy

Jennifer Hudson is careful in the guidance she provides son David and his group of friends.

The EGOT winner, 41, appears on the September cover of Real Simple, where she talks about bringing son David Daniel Otunga Jr., 13, along with a group of his cousins and friends, to the White House as she performed at the first Juneteenth ceremony there earlier this summer.

"I want my son to be a part of those things—and his cousins and friends. Little David has a really big heart, and he always wants to include them. So I said, 'I’ll sing, but I have to bring my boys,' " she shares.

"And I told the guys, 'When you all get old and you have children, you’re going to say, ‘I was there for the first Juneteenth.' And to be able to sing for it—that’s something I will never forget."

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Related: Jennifer Hudson Celebrates Son David's Middle School Graduation: 'My Baby Is a High Schooler'

This fall is a special time for the duo, with Hudson returning for a second season of her eponymous talk show while her teen starts high school.

"David and I joke that we’re both starting a new school year! My son has a busy schedule, and I love to be there for him, so I’m learning how to juggle this newness," she says of the time.

"It used to be I’d hold your hand and take you to the park. Now it's like, how do I mother you? Figuring that out. And how do we exist in this new space?"

Hudson notes, "My son goes to a predominantly white school, and he has giant hair, a whole afro. He loves to walk in there with the big old ’fro and the pick in his hair. And I’m like, 'Do you realize the statement you’re making? Know that just wearing your hair like that is a statement alone.'"

Turning 14 later this month, Hudson says David — whom she shares with ex David Otunga, whom she split from in November 2017 after a decade together — is "very rooted in who he is and OK with that."

"Being a mom of a Black son, you have to make him conscious of and aware of certain things—who he is within the world. And there’s so many layers he has to learn! But he’s at an age where he can fully understand it. And he’s so evolved beyond what I could ever imagine."

Hudson is grateful that David and the rest of the boys "know how to act and behave." 

"The more responsible you show to be, then the more you're allowed to do. For little David, my biggest thing is getting his priorities in order," she shares.

"Knowing education comes first, clean your room, and help take care of home. Learn how to help out and contribute. Those are things that he is learning."

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