More than just my own distress is the root of this push towards education and advocacy for the plight of infertile African Americans. The true push lies in the fact that I for one believe that we need to be aware of EVERY threat that is up against the black family. If we are already at a loss for true African American parenting and child rearing, then how much farther will our decline descend if we ignore the fact that the fertility rate of our race is dwindling.
But this won’t be a humdrum post, so let me quickly change the pace.
This morning, though my husband and I have no biological children as of yet, I found myself beaming to celebrate father’s day with him. My eagerness was due to the fact that he has been more than a father figure to so many children whom he truly loves. I’ve seen this man pull over and go to the door of people who let their small children play too close to busy streets, and I’ve also seen him care for children who had no biological tie to him with the dedication of a new father.
These are the kind of men our children need to see. Biological or not, we have to return to village thinking. If you see a child acting out or doing something out of pocket, it SHOULD be up to the community to rectify and address. Time out for momma’s on the “Don’t you say nothing to me or my baby” kick. We cannot ask men to be fathers and then take away every right they have.
I applaud every man who has taken on another man’s seed as his own.
I applaud every man who steps up the plate and FIGHTS for his children, be it in court, at the babymomma’s house, or elsewhere. I understand how tempting it can be to abandon responsibilities when the mother’s are acting more like children, and I thank you for thinking more of your babies than to let the temptation prevail.
I applaud every man who has refocused his life to better serve as an example for his children.
I applaud every man who has put his children first.
This post is for the father figures and for my brothers out there that have recently realized that being a father and being a dad are things to be proud of again. Slowly but surely, we are turning this thing around black men. And I for one am soo proud of you!