Juneteenth, Jack Yates and the power of fatherhood | Opinion
With these words, Jack Yates once again had ownership over his own body and decided to use that freedom to not only create a new life for him and his family, but for all those who made the pilgrimage from slave plantations to Houston. When he arrived in the city, he and his family settled in what was known as Freedmen’s Town, a community of formerly enslaved men and women. Although Freedmen’s Town had been established, there was much to be desired.
The pervasive myth about Black fathers is that they are absent, that they don’t nurture their children, and that fatherhood is something they evade. As someone who grew up the majority of my life without any guidance from my father, there is no doubt that some Black fathers are absent, but statistics show that this is the exception and not the rule.
Emotionally present fathers are not only great role models for their children, but they instill confidence, self-worth and a dogged drive to succeed at any cost. They discipline with authority and grace, speak life into their children’s future, and through the way they live their own lives, model what it means to become change-makers.
When I think of full emancipation and the spiritual trauma and transcendence one must endure to completely appreciate it, the guidance of a father is key in helping one navigate the journey.
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