Black Mamas Will Understand What ‘The View’s’ Sunny Hostin Did to Save Her Black Son’s Life

For many Black parents, worrying about their kids’ safety is part of the job. Protecting them from violent encounters with their neighbors and even law enforcement is something that keeps them living in constant fear. In a recent episode of “The View,” co-host Sunny Hostin opened up about how that fear impacts her and what she has done to make sure her Black children are protected. 

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During the “Hot Topics” segment of the Oct. 22 show, the ladies discussed the new Netflix documentary, “The Perfect Neighbor.” The film, made up almost entirely of police bodycam footage, tells the story of the events leading up to the murder of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a 35-year-old Florida mother who was shot to death by her white neighbor, 60-year-old Susan Lorincz, in 2023. 

The film shows an ongoing conflict between Lorincz and families, with Lorincz frequently calling the police on the neighborhood children for playing outside, and shines a spotlight on the intersection of race and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” laws, which give residents the right to use deadly force if they believe their lives are in danger.. 

For Hostin, an Afro-Latina who shares two children with her husband Emmanuel, this one was personal. She stressed to the audience that Lorincz’s crime was racially motivated. 

“What I found really heart-wrenching is that there was a Black mother whose kids were constantly targeted by a white woman. This was a racial bias crime,” Hostin said. “As a mother of Black children, I know that Black boys are not given the presumption of innocence and the presumption of youth.”

Hostin went on to explain that she went to the police in her predominantly white neighborhood to introduce her son and explain that he would be running around the neighborhood in training for the Junior Olympics – something she thought could potentially save his life. 

“I have brought him to the police and said, ‘He belongs to me. This is my son. Do not harass him. Do not stop him,’” she said. 

Viewers agreed with Hostin, adding that while “The Perfect Neighbor” is painful to watch, is something we should all see. 

“A very hard watch, but needs to be seen. I found myself both sad and angry at the same time,” wrote someone else on YouTube.