Our theme this year, “Civic Dads in Action: Engaged, Educated, Empowering Communities,” is a call to deepen our commitment. It’s a reminder that the strength of a school is tied to the strength of its family connections — and that the strongest connections are built on trust, respect, and invitation.

Op-Ed by Kenneth Braswell, CEO, Fathers Incorporated

Twenty years ago, in the shadow of a Chicago schoolyard, a movement was born — not from politics or policy, but from the quiet pain and determined vision of a man who once felt invisible at school, the place where he should have felt most seen. That man was Phillip Jackson, and the movement was the Million Fathers March.

This year, on Friday, September 19, 2025, we commemorate the 20th Anniversary of that movement. I am honored and humbled to help carry the torch forward and take it well beyond this milestone: It’s now a mission.

The Million Fathers March has always been more than a symbolic gesture. It is a declaration. When a father (or any caring male figure) walks their child to school on that day, they are not just escorting them into a building. They are walking them into a future shaped by visibility, encouragement, and love. That first step onto school grounds says, “I’m invested in your success. I believe in your brilliance. I’m not going anywhere.”

We know what the research says. Children with actively engaged fathers are more likely to excel academically, have stronger self-esteem, and exhibit healthier behaviors. In addition to the data, there’s the undeniable power of presence, of being there — not just at graduations and game days, but in the everyday moments that make up a child’s life. 

Fathers are not accessories to education. They are architects of it.

Too often, however, fathers — especially Black and Brown fathers — are still treated as afterthoughts in the educational ecosystem. Forms sent home list “mother” as the primary contact. School events are still titled “Muffins with Mom” but rarely “Donuts with Dad.” When we discuss “parent engagement,” we must mean all parents, and schools need to reflect that in both their language and practices. 

It’s time to stop seeing father engagement as an extra effort and start recognizing it as essential infrastructure.

This year, we are proud to partner with Chicago’s Black Star Project, the originators of the Million Fathers March, to honor the legacy that Phillip Jackson created. But honoring the past isn’t enough. We must also shape the future.

That’s why, in 2025, Fathers Incorporated is launching the L-Force Civic Engagement Academy, named in honor of our beloved colleague and brother, Lawrence E. Wilbon. Lawrence embodied everything this movement stands for — leadership, integrity, and an unshakable belief that fathers are vital to the health of families and the strength of communities.

The L-Force Academy will train fathers to become more than participants — it will prepare them to be civic leaders, mentors, volunteers, and advocates. Because showing up at school is just the beginning. The true march is the lifelong journey of civic responsibility. 

It’s time for our communities to see dads not only as nurturers but as necessary forces in shaping policy, driving change, and protecting the next generation.

Our theme this year, “Civic Dads in Action: Engaged, Educated, Empowering Communities,” is a call to deepen our commitment. It’s a reminder that the strength of a school is tied to the strength of its family connections — and that the strongest connections are built on trust, respect, and invitation.

So I ask our schools: Are you truly engaging fathers? Are you creating space for men to lead, contribute, and feel seen?

I ask our communities: Are we lifting up dads not just on Father’s Day, but every day?

And I ask our fathers: Will you march with us — not just once a year, but every day — in classrooms, in your homes, and in your neighborhoods?

This is critical: Every child deserves to see their hero walk them through the school doors, and every hero deserves to know their presence matters.

On September 19, 2025, let’s walk together — into schools, into service, and into a future our children deserve.

Registration is now open! Join us for the 20th Anniversary of the 2025 Million Fathers March – happening Friday, Sept. 19. Sign up now!