Today’s black fathers continue to be under the microscope. It’s easy to look at the state of our nation’s youth and young adults and wonder how different the world would be if more fathers were there. This weekend while speaking at Hyde Park Academy in Chicago, President Obama spoke on fathers.
“For a lot of young boys and young men in particular, they don’t see an example of fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up in respect,” Obama said. “And so that means that this is not just a gun issue; it’s also an issue of the kinds of communities that we’re building.”
In recent weeks we’ve given a lot of attention to the importance fathers play in the lives of their daughters and heard from several fathers who celebrated their love for their daughters this past Valentine’s Day. But what about our sons? How can we raise a generation of men who value fatherhood when they may not have examples of what it means to be a father. While the absence of their own fathers might drive them to be different when they become parents can we count on that alone?
For you fathers who are there supporting your families and raising your sons how do we change the way the world views black fathers? How do we ensure that fathers are active participants in the lives of their children? For more on this visit Clutch Magazine.
BMWK — Will the presence of fathers in the lives of our children bring about significant change in the black community?