Screenshot Courtesy of WSB-TV
In light of Father’s Day, a Metro Atlanta man is showing Black dads the support the world refuses to give them through his newly created “Dadvocate” movement, WSB-TV reported.
Jamal Lewis created “Dadvocate” to support new and developing Black fathers living in a world still stuck on the “absent father” stereotype that has been around for decades. The world’s refusal to look past the stereotype caused Black dads to be disregarded and have an unnecessarily negative reputation. But Lewis affirmed that the “absent father” stereotype was false.
“As you see, like the data and research all show that Black fathers, number one, are more, the most involved fathers in the household,” Lewis said. “Fathers of color, in general, are more involved. I think that there has been a changing of the guard.”
According to the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the mistakes that led to the “absent father” stereotype is people assuming unmarried dads aren’t involved in their children’s lives. But studies show that Black fathers are, in fact, more involved in their children’s lives than other races.
A 2013 CDC report results showed that Black dads who lived with their children were more likely to “provide physical care (bathe, diaper, feed) for their young children, read to their children, and help their children with their homework” than other races who resided with their children.
The report added that Black dads who don’t live with their children are more likely to be involved in their children’s lives, “helping them with homework, talking to them about their days, and taking them to activities” than white and Hispanic fathers.
A 2008 survey involving low-income mothers showed that “nonresident white fathers were less involved with their children than African-American and Latino fathers.”
In 2018, Mothers who had “nonmarital births” reported that Black fathers “shared responsibilities more frequently and displayed more effective co-parenting than Hispanic and White fathers.”