There was a moment yesterday either before or after my oldest daughter’s birthday party, where it hit my wife and I that we’ve been parents for now four years and counting. Four years doesn’t sound like a long time when you put it in perspective of the span of a lifetime. But, when we consider…
How to READ with Your Children
Fathers, I stumbled across this great resource earlier this morning as I was doing my own research for a workshop I’m presenting at next week. The topic of my upcoming workshop is Becoming an Educational Advocate for your child, and it’s for a group of young teen fathers in my community. In an effort to…
Making time to do things that matter
The things kids remember right? One day, when my oldest daughter Riley is older she’ll remember this day as when she first started to really learn how to ride a bike. And she’ll remember who was there by her side, literally and figuratively pushing her along until she was able to move on her own….
Who is raising our sons?
Yesterday, for those hidden under a rock, the President unveiled his latest initiative called My Brother’s Keeper. It amounts to what I believe to be a bold move by this administration to put a face on an issue that has long been the elephant in the room. While the initiative does take important steps towards supporting…
I am my brother’s keeper
There’s a great quote by James Baldwin which goes something like, to be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage. That about sums up how I’ve felt over the past few days post the most recent high profile trial of a white man murdering a young black boy. Last year I read…
Blessed
This was the scene that I woke up to this morning outside my window…a regular winter wonderland in “hot-lanta”. Today I turn 31, and I’ve got to tell you, it feels great. I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful daughters, my soul mate and my pride and joy. I’m doing work that is meaningful,…
Celebrating My History
Why my black is beautiful… My name in Hebrew means, “asked of God”, and for all my life I’ve been wondering, what exactly did they ask for? I come from a legacy of men with great ambitions for their families. From my paternal great grandfather Marshall Wakefield, a sharecropper who escaped away on a horse…
Teaching our children to celebrate our history (throughout the year in addition to February)
Today marks the beginning of Black History Month, and with it also begins an important opportunity for parents everywhere to ensure all kids learn about the contributions of Black Americans to our country. In particular, as a Black father with two daughters, I look forward to this time of year. However, I wonder if we…
The Legacy of a Father, Honoring Dr. King
This is my daughter last year in DC at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. It’s remarkable how much one man’s impact has stretched for generations, beyond his own family. But it also makes me wonder, how did his own kids turn out? I believe that the true legacy of a man, is what he instills into his…
