The picture of a hardworking Black man, married to the mother of his children, and providing spiritual, financial, and emotional support is rare today. It is estimated today that seventy (70) percent of Black families are headed by a single parent, usually the mother. What happened? Some people blame the effects of slavery in splitting the family unit. My father, born in 1907, and his generation were two generations from slavery but still managed to hold the family unit together. Other people blame drugs and the economy. I don't think there is a single answer, but somewhere along the way we went off the track.
Too many Black children are being raised without a father present in the home. This demographic crosses all educational, social, and economic levels and it is hurting our children. Children with an absent father are more likely to have behavior problems, be truant from and drop out of school. Children with an absent father are at a greater risk for emotional instability, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. Children with an absent father are at greater risk for risky behaviors, including early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. And children with an absent parent are more likely to live in poverty. And all of these conditions predispose the next generation to also have an absent father. It's a vicious cycle that we must break.
Not all of our fatherless children have a Missing Man in their lives. (see Missing Men - 4/26/2015) They are not dead or in prison, they are just missing in action. They live in your neighborhood and are on your job, They attend college and are members of your fraternity. They are members of your family and members of your church. Many of them live respectable, upstanding lives financially support their children. They just don't want to be a part of their children's lives for a variety of reasons.
As we celebrate our fathers and father figures this weekend, remember the fatherless children. They did not choose to be born into a family where one parent rejects of denies their existence. They deserve better. Men, try to take some time to be a father figure to some child with an absent father. Both boys and girls need a father. And if you are one of the missing in action fathers, it's never too late to connect with your children. Who knows, your presence could be the lifesaver that they need.