Friday, August 15, 2008

Great Fathers: Unsung Heroes


Okay, I just had to respond when I accidentally came across a really offense post attacking Obama as a father. The author seemed to believe that there are no good African-American fathers and therefore Obama must be pretending to be a good father but couldn't possibly actually be one. It wasn't the attack on Obama that bothered me so much as the assumption that there are no good African-American fathers. I know many. None of these good fathers are really celebrated in popular culture and many people (like Obama and Cosby) have been understandably vocal about the number of absent African-American fathers. Maybe it's time we started talking about those that are there and doing good with their kids...

Here's my reply to that blogger:
Fortunately, no one seems to be reading your blog because it's really sad that you, like so many, are unaware of the many African-American men who have dedicated their lives to being good fathers and role models. While people like Will Smith and Forest Whittaker are celebrity examples of wonderful fathers, and yet not really celebrated for this in the media, there have been many equally excellent fathers throughout history, despite the many challenges that African-Americans have faced as families were split apart first by slavery and then by poverty and all that comes with that. Behind many successful African-American men and women are good fathers like Charles Drew himself who had four children or his father, Richard Drew(who stressed the value of education to his children, or Lorraine Hansberry's father, Carl Hansberry (active in the black community in Chicago, including in social change work.) Neither of these fathers were absent or abusive but, on the contrary, were supportive of their children and positive role models inside the home and out. I assure you that they are not alone and if they were more celebrated in popular culture then young men now would have these men to look up to, like they can now look up to Obama as a role model. If you want to attack Obama then stick to the issues, attacking his personal life is not only low but will get you nowhere. Meanwhile, I would recommend you visit the site, fatherdad.com to read about yet another good African-American father...and a current day one at that.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey good on you, AC, for telling it like it is. Great response to a very petty, stupid post on their site.

Alien Citizen said...

Thanks, Helenwheels. Just telling it like it is...

enigma4ever said...

thank you for posting this...I thought alot about Bernie Mac this week- and how he was a good dad and even tried to educate people about being a dad....
and the MSM barely mentioned that part of him...

You know MSM will attack Obama about anything...his being a dad...and soon ( thank Edwards) you know the will say he is a bad husband too.....

really good post...

Alien Citizen said...

Thanks for the comment, Enigma4Ever. I guess I didn't know much about Bernie Mac though because the previews for his show, that I saw, really disgusted me. I felt like this was yet another depiction of black people as crass and loud and I found it offensive. But I'm definitely willing to reevaluate this. I do recall however his crude joke at an Obama fundraiser with a punchline that Bernie was living with two "hoes", in reference with his own wife and daughter. Obama came out later and criticized this of course. Really I don't know how jokes like this could be anything but offensive but I've kept my mouth shut in light of how many people clearly cared about the man. I can't second that emotion but I am sorry for his family.

enigma4ever said...

his show- when it was on would show problems that come up with having kids- and he did have 3 kids come to him via a Drug addict sister- in real life- and his own family did not help him with them...on his show he showed that sometimes it requires creativity to deal with being a parent- I am a little unclear if he adopted his sis' kids or also had his own- and I can not tell from his road show either....

His show got cancelled out of the blue- sadly...but even on the show he tried to work out his own parenting issues that were unresolved....ie how to talk to your kids...what to do if your kids are shy ? or lie? etc

anyways...

at the end of the show he would usually share some wisdom about what he learned- but it was defininetly geared for the young dads watching....

but I did hear about what he did at the Obama funraiser- that was not cool- at all...so sad that was his last public show too- and it turned into such a awful thing...

enigma4ever said...

Hey there...I am writing a book about being a whistleblower.....and investigating and fighting a Large Evil Chemical Company ( yeah, during the Bush years...) anyways that ended me up on the List....
On the Blogroll- Silent Fallout ( has the intro)...and then Silent Fallout and Watery Lies is the actual book ) the first 8 chap) the book will be done and posted BY the Election..and hopefully published after Bush leaves the WH....( I answered you more thoroughly over at Watergate Summer about WHY I am on the lIst)...

have a good night...

Alien Citizen said...

Hi Enigma4ever, I did check out your book blogs this morning...I'll probably have some questions for you later. But I think you should definitely keep writing and not worry about the current climate. Just get a manuscript finished of at least 150 pages or so. This is too important to wait on...and who knows what effect it could have on the election?

two crows said...

hi, AC--
I appreciate your attempt to wake these folks up. unfortunately, there is no ignorance stronger than among those who will refuse to hear anything but what they wish to hear.

I hope your words don't fall on deaf ears.

Alien Citizen said...

Twocrows! Yay...I was hoping to hear from you. Things at home seem to have finally calmed down enough that I can dedicate some time to blogging again. Actually, I probably spent too much time blogging this week. But I have missed my friends online, especially you. :-)

two crows said...

hey again, AC--
yeah, it's SO good to see you back.

I've been blogging pretty sporadically, myself, lately. the politics in particular is tough to keep going with right now.
sometimes I feel so hopeless.

which is why AtI has been claiming a lot of my time lately.
I'm so glad you visited there.

 
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