I know the latter points of this essay quoted below are true for me and many Black fathers I see everyday on MARTA or elsewhere. Many of us are quietly and steadfastly being fathers to our children, often against great odds from their mothers or society but doing so without fame or fanfare. Ase? Using the bully pulpit to rally support and foundation dollars to help boys and young men of color succeed is laudable. The problem lies in trying to pass off moral speechifying as substantive action. My Brothers Keeper is no substitute for jobs, housing, and access to quality education and training, and it wont have any meaningful impact on the appalling racism and conditions of life in the inner cities faced by black and Latino youth. Its like a warm blanket. Its comforting when its cold. But its no replacement for having heat. Promulgating this stereotype of the absentee black father is even more glaring. Obama has been rightly criticized for years for spreading the false assertion that black fathers dont engage with their children. Yet he will not let this canard die. Black fathers not living in the home with their children are more likely to keep in contact with their offspring than fathers of other ethnic or racial groups. Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data on American fathers involvement with their children. Whether it was reading and playing with children daily, eating meals together, or bathing and dressing children 5-years-old and under, black fathers living outside the home were more involved than white and Latino fathers. The level of involvement continued into the teen years, with black fathers scoring higher than whites and Latinos in helping children with homework, shuttling children to activities, and talking to their children each day.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:05:26 +0000
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