“There’s so much negative imagery
of black fatherhood. I’ve got tons of
friends that are doing the right thing by their kids, and doing the right thing
as a father
Those were the words and question posed by Willard
C. Smith, better known as Will Smith from TV, film and music. He has become one of the most recognizable
actors around the world. In fact, according
to Forbes Magazine is one of the most bankable worldwide stars. In 1990, he was the leading character in the
TV sitcom for NBC, “The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air,” which became successful and began his acting career. Since
that time, he stared in several block buster movies including Ali, The Pursuit
of Happiness, Independence Day, Men in Black, and the Enemy of the State.
Over the years, he has been active in
the lives of his children and helping to improve the outcomes of other youth through
the opening of a secondary school in California. As a father, he included one son in two of
his movies and one in a music video. Today,
there are many black fathers who are not as famous as Will Smith, but are just as
engaged in the lives of their children and other youth in the community. And it is these facts that are too often
overlooked or are taken for granted.
In a recent study conducted by the US
Department of Health and Human Services of 3,900 fathers (2006-2010) and
released on December 20, 2013, defy many of the stereotypes about black
fatherhood. In essence and by most measures, the reports reveals that black fathers are at least as
involved with their kids as other men in similar living situations. In particular the report is called “Father’s Involvement in Their Children: United
States, 2006-2010,”
and it revealed that 70% of black dads said they bathed, diapered or dressed their kids every
day, compared with 60% of white fathers and 45% of Latino fathers. In addition, nearly 35% of black fathers
who lived with their young children stated that they read to them daily,
compared with 30% of white and 22% of Latino dads.
This report is quite amazing when you
consider what we see and hear about black men and black boys in our country
these days. It is more remarkable especially
when so many black men are in jails, prisons, on the street, homeless, lack of
education, unemployed and on drugs. I
would agree with most perceptions and stereotypes that in many communities a
lot of work needs to be done to help change the narrative of what is occurring,
but it is not true in all cases, communities and families. The question today is how can we do a better
job in promoting the positive images of Black Fathers?
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