Dadifesto – A Virtual Celebration of Fathers
CEOs of Fatherhood-Focused Agencies Come Together to Celebrate Fathers Amidst COVID19 and U.S. Protests in a Show of Support and Solidarity on Father’s Day
Fathers Incorporated & Daddy Saturday in the U.S. partner with Dad La Soul in the U.K. to form “Dadifesto” – a Virtual Celebration of Fathers Around the Globe
Kenneth Braswell (CEO, Fathers Incorporated), Justin Batt (Founder, Daddy Saturday) and Dan Flanagan (Founder, Dad La Soul) knew they were onto something when they realized among the three of them, they had significant relationships with dads across the world and they wanted to ‘do something’ to break the mood amidst a global pandemic with COVID19 and the significant protests in the U.S. They came up with an idea to celebrate dads around the world with “Dadifesto”, a virtual international Father’s Day celebration that will bring dads of all cultures and races together to celebrate one another with a commitment to creating ‘global citizens’ of their children through intentional parenting.
The global celebration will take place on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21st, 11 AM EST/4 PM U.K. GMT+1. The planned activities include a scavenger hunt, story time with a guest author, Lego competition and special celebrity guest appearances. Dads around the world can participate in this celebration by RSVPing to www.Dadifesto2020.com.
These three dads have challenged and encouraged each other and other dads to commit to ensuring their children will be “Global Citizens”, caring about the safety and well being of all humans regardless of any obvious differences through race, culture, or class.
Braswell, CEO of Fathers Incorporated, a nonprofit that mainly assists African-American dads with personal and professional assistance is also the author of the children’s book, “Daddy There’s a Noise Outside” that addresses protests and the reasons they happen
He shares, “As a Black Dad, it is important to instill among my children a sense of pride for themselves. It is just as important that with that lens, they have an appreciation for ALL cultures and people. This is a great opportunity to do just that.”
Justin Batt, the Founder of Daddy Saturday, a movement to restore fatherhood by creating intentional dads who raise good kids that become great adults describes, “As fathers, we need to recognize that far more is caught than taught. If we want to change the next generation it starts with us leading by example and being intentional about having courageous conversations with our kids discussing important issues about the past and present to help shape their future.”
Daddy Saturday started in Justin’s backyard with his four children and has grown to become an international movement to engage fathers. Through the Daddy Saturday Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, Justin’s goal is to impact 10 million fathers in the next 10 years and eliminate fatherlessness.
In the U.K. the stats show that 96 men, many of whom are dads, commit suicide every year. Flanagan, 45 from Worthing, UK founded Dad La Soul, a revolutionary grassroots movement that uses art, music, and tech to tackle social isolation in dads in 2016 after leaving his corporate job and long commute that cut into significant family time.
“In the U.K., the stats show that 96 men under the age of 45 commit suicide every year. Why?” Explains Flanagan, “Because men do not talk. Those 96 men come from all racial and socio-economic backgrounds and as part of its global citizen mission, the Dadifesto aims to give 96 dads a voice and show that does not always have to be.”
Dadifesto is a virtual international Father’s Day celebration designed to bring dads around the world together in a show of support and unity in the spirit of intentional parenting to create global citizens. For more information about Dadifesto or to RSVP, please visit website.
Media are invited and encouraged to participate. Interviews can be requested by contacting the press contact.
