Panel I: Systems

Research shows that supporting responsible fatherhood is critically connected to lifting Black men and their current and/or future children out of poverty, while laying a firm foundation for their success in life.

The Blueprint argues that we can reimagine the Black father by unpacking the narrow and often stereotypical images and stories bestowed on him and perpetuated by society at large while understanding the plight of Black fathers in light of structural and institutional barriers.

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Panel II: Parenting and Relationships

Fatherhood has largely been defined in terms of a father’s physical proximity to his children. If the father in question is in the household, he is considered present.

If Black fathers are largely involved in the lives of their children, what are some structural barriers that may impede their involvement, particularly fathers in poor families?

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Panel III: Racial Injustice and Community Engagement

It is imperative that researchers and policymakers consider the importance of hope in response to stressors experienced by African American men. Racism, for example, has long been held as a stressor that has a negative impact on the mental, emotional, and physical health of people of color.

Hope, as a coping mechanism, can mitigate the impact of stressors related to everyday life, thereby reducing the impact of stress.

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Panel IV:

Recent research suggests that Blacks have lower rates of upward mobility and higher rates of downward mobility than whites, leading to large income disparities that persist across generations.
The inability of Black families to transfer wealth and assets from one generation to another has far-reaching effects. When examining the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many Black families found themselves vulnerable and unable to maintain their households with little to no liquid assets.

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Panel V: Education

Parental engagement continues to be a challenge for educational environments across the nation. However, more so for Black Fathers. While research points to the high engagement of Black fathers in the lives of their children at home; there still seems to be a disconnect in finding ways to involve dads in the routine activities of understanding and engaging dads.

How can we improve how Black dads are utilized in the educational obtainment of their children?

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Documentary & Panel VI:

This 20min silent film short is the depiction of the dynamics that take place between two low income non-custodial parents with children. The story takes place in Brooklyn, New York over the course of a normal day.

The film puts on display how incremental incidents and scenarios can create an unrealistic reality for two parents who live their lives in an interpersonal and psychological bubble.

Each day 41% of America’s children wake up in a single parent home. The numbers for African American children are vastly higher; in fact 66% of them are born onto out-of-wedlock households.

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