This book analyzes how the absence of African American fathers affects their children, their relationships, and society as a whole, while countering the notion that father absence and family fragmentation within the African American community is inevitable. It begins by offering possible explanations for the decline in marriage among African American families, including the limited economic prospects of many men who live in the inner city that impacts their ability to provide for a family. The book then considers marriage from an economic perspective, emphasizing that it is a wealth-producing…
This book contains expanded version of papers presented at the Natcher Center of the National Institutes of Health in January 2002. The papers address the consequences of imprisonment and reentry for individual prisoners, their families, and the communities to which these prisoners return. Preceded by an introductory chapter outlining current data on prisoners and their children and families, Part 1 examines the impact of prison itself. It examines the psychological impact of imprisonment, the experiences of women prisoners, and the ability of prison programs to improve the ability of…
This chapter describes a grant program spearheaded by the Sisters of Charity Foundation to reduce poverty by addressing fatherlessness in South Carolina. The foundation created a partnership with the University of South Carolina and concerned communities across South Carolina to analyze the fatherless problem, develop a plan for strategic action, and initiate a planning process. The process resulted in six funded programs representing an investment of $2.2 million by the Sisters of Charity Foundation. The majority of those served by programs will be African American men and their children.…
The effectiveness of fatherhood programs working with low-income and mostly noncustodial fathers are reviewed in this chapter, including results from the Children First program, eight federally funded demonstration projects designed to increase noncustodial parents access to their children, and the Parents Fair Share program. Lessons learned from the evaluations of these programs are shared. 30 references.
The majority of African American children live in homes without their fathers, but the proportion of African American children living in intact, two-parent families has risen significantly since 1995. Black Fathers in Contemporary American Society looks at father absence from two sides, offering an in-depth analysis of how the absence of African American fathers affects their children, their relationships, and society as a whole, while countering the notion that father absence and family fragmentation within the African American community is inevitable. Editors Obie Clayton, Ronald B. Mincy,…
"The fathers may soar. And the children may know their names," Toni Morrison wrote. In Black Fathers, Kristin Clark Taylor takes this wisdom to heart. Focusing on the irreplaceable gifts fathers bring to their children's lives as well as on the untold joy that comes from fathering a child, she invites all black fathers -- those who soar, those who are only learning how to fly, and those whose wings have been temporarily clipped by circumstances or personal failure -- to celebrate themselves, heal the fissures that separate them from their children, and reclaim their place in the hearts and…
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Training Materials Previous studies focused exclusively on fatherinvolvement and outcomes for U.S born adolescentsfrom white middle class populations. The present study explores how father involvement is related to adolescent risk behaviors among a wider classification of youth than previously examined.
