Tag: research

Advertisers Are Still Selling the Myth of the Missing Black Father

Television commercials have often depicted fathers in Black families as “missing,” failed to highlight their daily contributions, and reinforced the damaging perception that Black fathers are absent and disengaged. This falsehood doesn’t stay on the screen. It follows Black fathers into schools, hospitals, courtrooms, child welfare systems, social service agencies, workplaces, and even into their own homes, where children are still trying to understand how the world sees the men who love them.

Black Fathers Are Blocked, Not Missing: What Fulton County Teaches America About Father Engagement

Our study asks a question that the responsible fatherhood and human services fields sometimes avoid because it’s inconvenient: If we say fathers matter, why are so many systems designed as if they don’t? 

Those that truly want to engage fathers must adopt a simple discipline: Stop confusing outcomes with intent. If a father is not consistently present, ask what has been blocking him before you make assumptions or lean on stereotypes.