Kenneth Braswell of Fathers Incorporated Receives Dream Recognition from Oprah
ATLANTA (July 6, 2021)— Oprah co-hosted OWN’s first-ever Father’s Day special, “Honoring Our Kings” just before Father’s Day alongside celebrity dads “This Is Us” actor Sterling K. Brown, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter/producer John Legend and NBA great Dwyane Wade. Of the five fathers highlighted alongside their families was Dunwoody resident Kenneth Braswell, Sr., CEO of Fathers Incorporated (FI), for his three decades of working with fathers and their families to overcome extreme challenges.
The special aimed to rewrite a narrative, disproving persistent media stereotypes about absent Black fathers. For Braswell, this was especially meaningful. “We’ve been intentional for over 30 years to help change the negative stereotypes of Black Dads by highlighting black men and the great things they do for their families. Being recognized by Oprah for our work is a dream come true.”
Established in 2004, FI works collaboratively with organizations around the country to identify and advocate for social and legislative changes that lead to healthy father involvement with children, regardless of the father’s marital or economic status, or geographic location.
In 2020, Fathers Incorporated was awarded a Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood Grant of $5 million to fund programs which provides fathers in Atlanta with help managing the responsibilities of being parents/coparents, delivers healthy marriage/relationship skills and provides economic stability activities and outcomes for fathers participating.
In addition to the community work happening in Atlanta and nationally, FI recently released their 2020 Fatherhood Impact report that emphasizes systemic racism and structural inequalities as impediments for Black Dads which has only gotten worse over time.
The report details the additional important work Fathers Incorporated accomplished in 2020; however, one of the biggest contributions FI made to the fatherhood field last year was the comprehensive report, The Blueprint—Reimagining the Narrative of the Black Father. Braswell explains, “In it, we outline factors that are necessary for understanding the Black father, such as the economic challenges that stem from having lower rates of upward mobility and higher rates of downward mobility than whites, leading to large income disparities that persist across generations.”
“These economic factors can substantially and negatively impact Black families in real-time, as we saw when examining the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Black families found themselves vulnerable and unable to maintain their households with little-to-no liquid assets.”
To access the full report, please visit http://www.fathersincorporated.com.
Kenneth Braswell is available for interviews discussing his work in the fatherhood field and general areas affecting black men and families relating to COVID-19, parenting, and community issues at large.
