Herman Kelley, 62
Miami, unemployed
Yes. I’m a father of nine children and I raised all of them. Six of them have graduated from college. But they’re still trying to say that Black fathers are lazy and that we’re not role models for our children. It’s just unfair that they’re trying to stigmatize us.
Dwight Dorsett, 54
Miami, unemployed
No, not really because guys out here don’t know how to act. Half of them aren’t fathers – they’re not taking care of their kids. They have these babies with these young girls and they’re still buck wild. When I was coming up, there wasn’t this type of violence either. But now there’s just so much violence perpetrated by young folks that it’s ridiculous. They don’t care about life at all.
James Gate, 49
Miami, unemployed
Well, I don’t think that I ever heard that anything was wrong with Black fathers. Anyway, all the Black fathers that I know are good fathers.
Clarissa Furbush, 41
Miami, administrative assistant
I don’t want to say anything bad about a brother, but they haven’t been doing what they’re suppose to do. So, no, I don’t think the majority of Black fathers have been given a bad reputation. I think that most of them have earned the reputation that they have.
Mac Rollins, 64
Miami, food service worker
I think that they have unfairly been given a bad reputation. A lot of Black fathers have been to prison or are in prison, so they can’t be there for their kids. And if the fathers aren’t there, then their sons and daughters will roam the streets and do want they want to do.
Horace Horn, 47
Liberty City, retired bus driver
Yes. I raised my three kids and my youngest child has just one more year of college to complete before graduating. See, I am a Black father, not a daddy. The difference is that daddies don’t take care of their children. Fathers do.
terry fernando newton
June 14, 2012 at 11:49 am
things are not always the way they seem to be there is a negative side and their is a postive side,history has shown that the media at large will always protray black men in a negative way .we cannot change that.but what,we can do is a,paper like the miami times and others have to bring to light, that their are alot of black fathers being a postive force in there childern life,on the other side there are black male donors that will have to become black fathers.mothers are doing a heck of a job,i pray ,i have hope a change is on the way..Elder Terry fernando Newton
OPHELIA KELLEY
June 15, 2012 at 12:04 am
ABOUT HALF OF ALL OUR FATHER ARE IN PRISON AND SOME DIDN’T GET TO BE RAISED RIGHT BY THEIR FATHER TO KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE A FATHER. SOME OF THEM HAVING PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN, BY BEING AUTISTIC OR ADHD. SOME OF THESE FATHER TRY TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS THE WRONG WAY SELLING DRUGS BECAUSE OF THE MINIMUM WAGES WHICH WE HAVE TODAY.
Tyrone Thompkins
July 5, 2012 at 12:20 pm
The system is set up to make black fathers looks bad.The truth is their are alot of fathers that dont take care of thier kids and it makes the ones who do looks bad.Some of these fathers have to deal with women who hold kids hostage if you dont give them or do what they say when they say it. The court system only wants to father to just pay child support and the father dont have to see the kid ever again in life as long as he pays the funds,emotional support,time, and love is not important. This helps discourage men who try.
Overrall, the father role has disappeared in the black community, churches are packed with women, town meetings are packed with women, school meetings are packed with women and we wonder why its black on black killing happens no fear of god and no fear of a male model helps keep Fathers Day in the Black Community like groundhog day it really don’t count.