Category: Black Men
You Can’t Close the Minority Health Gap While Ignoring Fathers
If father presence matters, then father health matters.
Father involvement has long been associated with positive child outcomes. If we celebrate engaged fathers when children thrive, then we must also care whether those fathers are healthy enough to stay engaged.
And if we want stronger families, then fathers must be included in minority health — not as an afterthought but as part of its strategy, its urgency, and its promise.
Redefining Strength: Black Men in the Care Economy
For too long, American culture has offered Black men a narrow script. It has treated masculinity as hardness, distance, stoicism, or physical dominance. It has treated provision as if it only counts when it arrives in the form of money made through visibly rugged labor. Even the more sympathetic versions of this narrative often reduce men to role, function, and performance. Earn. Protect. Endure. Bring home the check. Stay tough. Never bend too much toward tenderness.
But care work disrupts that script.
Black Work, and the Myth of a Gender Divide: What the Employment Numbers Really Say About Family Stability
In February 2026, unemployment for Black men ages 20 and older was 7%, and for Black women ages 20 and older it was 7.1%, nearly identical. This alone should interrupt a lot of lazy commentary that claims one group is faring better than the other and causing the labor market gaps the other faces.
The real lesson is that both Black men and Black women remain more exposed than the average U.S. worker.
5 Critical Policy Changes to Remove Legal and Economic Barriers Faced by Black Fathers
We believe – and it’s supported by the “Breaking the Chains” report – that Black fathers are fighting to stay involved with their children even while contending with barriers that many never face. Some of the most important support we can provide involves not only helping fathers navigate the hurdles but eliminating them from the path for fathers now and in the future. The reforms and policy directives outlined above move us in that direction.
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.”
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.
Men, Take Care of Your Temple by Going to the Doctor
How is it possible that Black men living in, arguably, the wealthiest country in the world are suffering and dying in high numbers from treatable diseases?
Black Men and Colon Cancer: Breaking the Silence, Taking Control, and Saving Lives
Colon cancer claims the lives of Black men too often and without warning. Still, we barely talk about it.
Black Fathers On the Front Lines of Civil Rights Advocacy
Throughout history, Black fathers have been unsung heroes in the struggle for civil rights. Though often overshadowed, their contributions have been critical to dismantling systemic barriers and forging a brighter future for their children and communities. These men didn’t wait for the perfect conditions to act — they saw a need and stepped into the breach, wielding love, sacrifice, and determination as tools.
How Companies Depict Black Fathers in TV Commercials
Researchers from the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy are hosting a critically important webinar: “Can You See Me Now? A Closer Examination of Black Fathers in Television Commercials.” A must-attend event for anyone interested in media representation of Black fathers and families, the presentation is based on Moynihan Institute’s qualitative study measuring attitudes and reflections about Black fathers in television commercials.
The Life and Legacy of Lawrence Wilbon: A Brother’s Remembrance
Writing this feels impossible, yet necessary, because Lawrence deserves words that honor the man he was, even if they fall short of the mark. This is for you, L. This is The Death of the L.
The quiet after the storm
The night before, I stayed up, switching between networks, trying to listen not just to the results but to the stories behind them. Numbers don’t lie, they say.
Shattering Myths: Why Black Men’s Votes Matter in Shaping the Future
Historically, Black men have been deeply engaged in the fight for civil rights and political representation.
Today, I Lost My Father Again: The Legacy of Good Times’ James Evans on Black Boys
Amidst the challenges, there was one constant: James Evans, played by John Amos. For many Black children, particularly those growing up in father-absent homes, James Evans was more than a character.
The World Keeps Telling Us Black Men and Boys Are Throwaways: I’m Starting to Believe We Are
There’s a dangerous and persistent narrative in society today that Black men and boys are disposable—throwaways.