Month: June 2025
Op-Ed: Empowering Black Men — Reclaiming Our Health, Rewriting Our Legacy
How many aspects of our lives could drastically improve with just a few minutes of intentional care daily? This revelation prompted me to emphasize one critical truth: “Not taking care of yourself, particularly when you have children and family, is the most selfish act you can engage in.”
Just Say “Happy Father’s Day”
I’ve earned the right to speak on this with conviction:
Just say “Happy Father’s Day.”
Not “Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing uncles.” Not “Happy Father’s Day to all the moms doing double duty.” Not “Happy Father’s Day to coaches, mentors, big brothers, or strong women who step up.”
Built to Serve, Not to Indulge
When a father reaches out to us, we don’t hand him a quick fix. We invite him into a process. That process is not punishment — it’s preparation. It’s our way of making sure we’re giving the right help, to the right person, in the right way. It’s how we protect the integrity of what we offer because what we do is sacred. We are, quite literally, in the business of changing lives.
Left Behind No More: A Call to Action for Our Boys, Our Fathers, and Our Future
The data is in, and the alarm has sounded: Society is leaving our boys behind. So how can we help them thrive? Re-engaging fathers may be the single most powerful strategy we have.
Where’s Dad? Rethinking Absence, Accountability, and Access
Yet, the truth behind father absence is multifaceted, woven intricately through voluntary choices, systemic barriers, trauma, and deeply entrenched societal narratives.
The Greatest Gift: Why Empathy Belongs at the Heart of Father’s Day
This Father’s Day, let’s offer something more enduring than a card or a steak dinner. Let’s offer compassion. Let’s challenge ourselves to listen more closely. To believe more deeply. To hold space for the stories that don’t get shared on social media.
The Blueprint: What Fatherhood Teaches Us About Manhood
We talk a lot about masculinity, especially in the context of harm. “Toxic masculinity” gets tossed around like it’s synonymous with manhood itself. But let me say this plainly: Masculinity is not toxic. Masculinity is powerful. Masculinity, at its best, is courageous, accountable, nurturing, and deeply spiritual.