By Roderick Mitchell
Free Press Reporter
Lost in the shuffle of Juneteenth celebrations this weekend is Father’s Day, which happens to fall on June 19th.
Also lost in the shuffle are the millions of Black fathers in America who work hard to lead their families and serve as role models for their sons and daughters.
A growing myth in the Black community is that Black fathers are simply sperm donors or names on child support checks. That myth is fed by the absence of Black fathers in many families.
In her book, “The myth of the missing Black father,” Roberta Coles says 70 percent of births of black mothers are to nonmarital black fathers. Coles argues that “while black fathers are less likely than white and Hispanic fathers to marry their child’s mother, many black fathers continue to parent through cohabitation and visitation, providing caretaking, financial, and in-kind support.
Fathers and mothers, in many instances, may not be in love anymore, but millions of Black fathers are still attempting to be a positive presence in the life of their children.
The myth says Black fathers…
