Atlanta, Ga, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recent years, there has been much discussion about how economic initiatives can better support Black communities. Vice President Harris’s Opportunity Agenda is the latest of many attempts to address some of these challenges and focus on economic opportunities for Black men. While the effort is commendable, the agenda misses several critical issues central to Black fathers’ lives—issues Fathers Incorporated has been addressing head-on for more than a decade. The gap between economic opportunity and the broader needs of Black fathers is not just an oversight: It’s a blatant misunderstanding of the specific role Black men play in their families and communities.
At Fathers Incorporated, we understand economic opportunity is just one piece of the puzzle. Black fathers are not merely workers and breadwinners; they are pillars of strength, leaders, and role models. The blueprint Fathers Incorporated has outlined is a holistic approach emphasizing not just financial stability but also the importance of fatherhood, legacy building, family support, and emotional well-being. These are not marginal issues but central to Black men’s ability to thrive as fathers and community leaders.
While focused on improving economic outcomes, the Opportunity Agenda fails to address other essential components. For example, while providing pathways to employment is important, it doesn’t challenge systemic barriers many Black fathers face in the family court system, preventing them from being fully engaged in their children’s lives. It also fails to address the lack of mental health resources for Black men or cultural pressures that discourage seeking help. Without tackling these issues, the agenda falls short.
This is where the work of Fathers Incorporated is so critical. For years, we have advocated for policies that look at the full picture of what Black fathers need to succeed—not just as economic providers but as emotionally available, supportive, and engaged leaders in their families. Through various programs and initiatives, we’ve worked with Black fathers to help them navigate the barriers they face, from understanding their legal rights to becoming active participants in their children's education and development. Our research has repeatedly shown that the entire family thrives when fathers are fully engaged. Children do better in school, communities are safer, and the cycle of poverty can be broken.
One of our key programs focuses on empowering Black fathers in economically disadvantaged areas like Atlanta’s NPU-V, a region where poverty rates and systemic disenfranchisement are particularly high. Our work in this community demonstrates that Black men want to be involved in their families’ lives—they just need the tools, resources, and support to do so. And when they get that support, it is transformative. Fathers previously on the sidelines become advocates for their children’s education, actively participating in school meetings, pushing for better resources, and becoming community leaders.
National policy agendas need to take this holistic approach instead of narrowly focusing on job creation. However, the narrative around Black men’s engagement in the political process continues to fail to recognize the reality of these policy gaps.
Recently, former President Barack Obama made headlines for criticizing Black men who may be hesitant to support Vice President Harris. This is not the first time he has publicly chastised Black men for what he sees as disengagement, and it won’t be the last. Throughout his political career, Obama has repeatedly used his platform to lecture Black men about their lack of participation, whether it be in the voting booth or other civic duties.
While his calls for accountability may be well-intentioned, they are ultimately misguided and unfair. Criticizing Black men for not voting or labeling lack of support for a particular candidate as “sexist” ignores the very real and systemic reasons why many Black men feel disillusioned with the political process. The fact is, Black men have been consistently marginalized in the political discourse. Programs and initiatives touted as solutions to systemic inequality often focus on other groups and leave Black men feeling unheard and unseen. Even when programs are created to support Black communities, they frequently fail to address the specific needs of Black men as fathers, husbands, and leaders.
This lack of focus on Black men’s specific challenges is not just a policy oversight—it’s a historical failure. For generations, Black men have been subjected to systemic racism, mass incarceration, and economic disinvestment. These are not abstract issues; they are lived experiences shaping how Black men view their role in society and how they engage with the political system. Publicly chastising them for their political choices without acknowledging these systemic barriers only deepens the sense of alienation that many Black men feel.
What is needed is not more criticism but more understanding. If political leaders want to engage Black men, they need to address the real issues that impact their lives, including family structure, criminal justice reform, mental health support, and economic mobility beyond low-wage job creation. They need to listen to the voices of Black fathers, asking for resources to help them be better dads, not just better workers. And they need to stop framing the political disengagement of Black men as a moral failure when it is, in fact, a rational response to a system that has failed them time and time again.
Every day at Fathers Incorporated, we see Black fathers' desire to be involved in their families, leaders in their communities, and creators of a better future for their children. Our work proves that when Black men are given the support they need (whether it’s legal advocacy, mental health services, or parenting education) they rise to the occasion. Our support comes from empathy and understanding, not criticism or blame—a stance that needs to be part of the national conversation.
While Black men understand the profound historical significance of electing a Black woman to the presidency, it is crucial to recognize that this alone should not be the singular expectation placed upon them when voting. The symbolism of such a milestone is powerful and deeply resonant. Still, like any other group, Black men deserve the space to consider the full range of issues affecting their daily lives, from criminal justice reform and economic mobility to mental health support and fatherhood. The decision to vote must be based on more than identity alone: It must consider policies and platforms that address their unique and specific challenges.
Furthermore, it’s essential to understand that no Black man (neither President Obama nor others with media platforms or celebrity status) speaks for all Black men. Black men are not a monolith; their diverse experiences, struggles, and priorities must be respected and acknowledged in political discourse. The expectation that they vote in lockstep based on racial or gender solidarity alone undermines the complexity of their lived realities and the autonomy they deserve in shaping their political decisions.
As we move forward, political leaders, policymakers, and community advocates must come together to create a comprehensive agenda to address the full scope of what Black men need to succeed as fathers and citizens. This is not just about creating more economic opportunities; it’s about creating a society that values Black fathers for their unique contributions and supports them in the full range of their responsibilities. Only then can we truly begin to close the gaps in opportunity and representation that have plagued our communities for far too long.
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Kenneth Braswell is the CEO of Fathers Incorporated, a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening fatherhood, particularly among Black men.
Attachments
- Kenneth Braswell and his wife Tracy take their son with them voting for president for the first time.
- Kenneth and Tracy Braswell's son KJ poses in front of a VOTE HERE sign for the first time.
