On an interview with Pitchfork, Dev Hynes talked about “Family” and Mock’s connection to the album:

This track, among several others, contains spoken word from writer, director, and activist Janet Mock. Why did you choose her to be the narrator of this album?

Dev Hynes: I met her at Hollywood Bowl, when Solange was playing her show there last year, and we stayed in touch. I hit her up at a random time to be involved in something I was working on, but months and months went by, and schedules weren’t working out. Then I was in the last week of mixing the album, doing little edits, and she hit me up, like, “I’m gonna be in New York for three hours tomorrow morning if you’re around.” And I was like, “Yes.” So she came to the studio. I had the [Negro Swan] book and I was playing her stuff and talking about it, and I just pressed record. I didn’t know if it would just be one moment or whatever, but we spoke the whole time, and she would write her thoughts in the book, and just say them out loud. It’s funny, [Janet] didn’t record to any music. So she still hasn’t heard what her voice does. I need to send [the album] to her.