I can remember falling off of my bicycle as a kid and my older cousins, uncles, and my dad would say, "Get up! Be a man!" As a kid I would tell them, whomever it was at the time of incident, "But I'm a boy, not a man." They would look at me with anger in their eyes and again say, "Well go'on and be a cry baby then!" Mind you, I recall one time where I wasn't crying at all. … [Read more...]
3 Huge Life Lessons I Want My Son to Know
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way: Parenthood is hard, children won't fully appreciate your efforts for years to come, and in spite of our every hurdle we're thrown, parents around the world will still try their best. My son has reminded me that he deserves my best every single day. This reminder has led to many long nights wondering what key lessons I would like … [Read more...]
NJ Judge Rules That Pregnant Women Can Ban Child’s Father From Delivery Room
The first ruling of its kind in the nation, last week a New Jersey judge ruled that mother's can decide that they do not want the child's father in the delivery room. According to nj.com the judge is cited as saying, "Any interest a father has before the child’s birth is subordinate to the mother’s interests," Mohammed wrote. "Even when there is no doubt that a father has … [Read more...]
LeBron James Tells the World How He Really Feels About His Father
NBA star, LeBron James, posted a picture on Instagram last week, expressing to the world how he feels about growing up without a father. The picture he posted is from the March GQ magazine interview where he opens up a bit about his personal life. His mother, Gloria, who gave birth to him when she was just 16 years old, raised the 29-year-old married dad of two on her own. … [Read more...]
Kevin Hart Has a Blast at Father-Daughter Dance With His Princess
This weekend, while everyone was focused on the Super Bowl, actor and comedienne, Kevin Hart, was focused on spending a lovely evening with his beautiful daughter at a father-daughter dance. With so many negative images of Black men in the media, it’s so refreshing to see everyone focused on a positive image of a Black man spending quality time with his precious little … [Read more...]
How I Appreciate and Value My Husbands Role as a Father
For the last few weeks, the article “ Six ways single mothers can raise a sorry black man” by Dr. Boyce Watkins has been circulating the web. With a title like that, of course the post hasn’t come without controversy. I agree with Dr. Watkins that things like coddling, allowing laziness and rewarding “playa” behavior will result in a sorry man. I believe this is not just … [Read more...]
Now is the Time to Change the Narrative about Black Fatherhood
Combing hair, changing diapers and picking out outfits are things that moms are usually tasked with doing for the children. The internet flew into a frenzy recently, when a photo of a Black man combing his toddler daughter’s hair while standing with his infant daughter strapped into a baby carrier across his chest, went viral. The photo was shared countless times and with it … [Read more...]
A Real Father Isn’t a Babysitter
I heard someone say in passing that a child’s father was going to babysit so the mother could run errands. Babysit . . . really? When did the actual parent of a child turn into a babysitter? Not only is this flat-out wrong, but it’s also demeaning. Dads do so much more than babysit. In my home, babysitters are a necessity. I appreciate the care and attention they give my … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Rapper/Actor Tray Chaney Releases “Dedicated Fatherhood” Video
An author, rapper and celebrated actor who appeared on all five seasons of HBO’s The Wire, Tray Chaney has just released a new video for his latest song, “Dedicated Father.” Showcasing four generations of Chaney men, “Dedicated Father” features Tray’s 78-year-old grandfather, Samuel Chaney Sr., his 53-year-old father, Samuel Chaney, Jr. and his 7-year old son, … [Read more...]
National Study Reveals that Stereotypes about Black Fatherhood Are Bogus
It’s an unfortunate reality, but we all see the negative images and hear the stereotypes about Black fathers and what they are not doing for their children. If you allow yourself to believe many of these stereotypes, you would think that Black fathers do less for their children than any other race. It seems like so many of us, who know great Black dads, are constantly feeling … [Read more...]
Single Fathers: Don’t Step Up to be a Parent, Never Step Down
The unfortunate reality is there are a lot of single men with children, especially in the African American community. It’s unfortunate because every child could benefit from being in the house with the two parents who cared enough to bring them into this world. Regardless, the society we live in has many single men who are a part of raising a child either in their home, in … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Award-Winning Producer Encourages Men to Man Up!
Shannon Sanders, award-winning music producer and songwriter, has a a message for men: man up. As the music director for India Arie, Sanders helped create videos for her hits "Brown Skin" and "Video" among others and is ready to debut a video of his own. The song carries the message "It takes a man, to teach a man, to be a man," asking men to "man up" and raise their … [Read more...]
Collection of Essays Looks to Change Views On Black Fatherhood
Twenty writers came together to share their experiences and stories on fatherhood in an anthology titled, Bet on Black; African-American Woman Celebrate Fatherhood in the Age of Barack Obama to help break the image of absent black fathers. The independently published book, featuring authors such as Karen Good Marable and Yannick Rice Lamb, is set to release on Amazon on … [Read more...]
6 Statements A Girl Needs to Hear From Her Daddy
One of the greatest images, in my opinion, is seeing a little girl spending time with her daddy. There is something powerful that happens in a daddy, daughter relationship. Girls absolutely need their dads to play a major role in their lives. Yes, I know single moms who have done amazing jobs with their girls, but that girl, unfortunately, always misses that piece her daddy … [Read more...]
3 Things Fathers Overlook With Their Daughters
To the men that have embraced their responsibilities and are in the lives of their children I applaud you. At a time where many have fallen short in this regard you have taken the path that a true man should take. This should always be acknowledged but there is always room for improvement. I recently spoke at a Young Women's Conference and it was a great experience. I … [Read more...]