The concept of fatherlessness has emerged at the center of debates over welfare, poverty, sexuality, divorce, family values, and "racial disorder." Do children need fathers? Do mothers need husbands? Should we celebrate or grieve the loss (or transformation) of fatherhood? Is there a relation between "fatherlessness" and the destitution and crime of inner-city communities? Or is talk about "fatherlessness" simply a political diversion from the true sources of inequality and social disruption? This collection brings together the voices of nine highly diverse scholars to reflect on the…
Offering an eloquent combination of fifty beautiful black-and-white photographs and poignant quotations from the fathers and children portrayed, Commitment provides a powerful rendition of fatherhood in black America.The father is often perceived as someone absent from the African American family, though the reasons for this perception vary. This book shows another side to that image, a positive one depicting black men who are supportive and nurturing parents. To reveal and celebrate this less often recognized parent, Carole Patterson has spent several years crossing the continent to…
Despite the increase in the number of children born to unwed White mothers, social policies and attitudes about female-headed households usually depict the family structure as a Black issue. Public discourse continues to view the matriarchal family as abnormal and the cause of many problems in the Black community, such as criminal behavior and drug abuse. Black men are considered to be unsuitable role models and unable to lead their families, a belief that White Americans have maintained since the days of slavery. However, these criticisms of Black fathers distract attention from the social…
