My 13-year-old son, Yosef, is black. I’m white. Most times, we’re too busy to take notice of the difference. Never, though, have I felt a pastier shade of white than when I talk to my son about the anecdotes of racial divide that dot the national headlines on what recently seems to be a daily basis. When President Trump calls U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings out in the context of Baltimore crime statistics and subpar housing conditions, Yosef looks to me to make sense of people calling our commander in chief a racist, asking in confusion, “They’re saying the President is racist. What?” After … [Read more...]
Mike Dorsey Working on New Narrative for Black Fathers
Mike Dorsey is on a mission. He wants to change the tired narrative in our country about black fathers, such as them being absentee dads or not engaged when they are around. Dorsey, known as "Mike D" by many, has taken a multi-prong approach to redefining and uplifting the image of African American dads. He is an author, business entrepreneur, community organizer, speaker and podcaster. Dorsey discusses his motivation to create a community for active and engaged black fathers and the impact of his work within and outside that community on the latest episode of the Modern Dads … [Read more...]
‘Fences’ Inspired Me to ‘Take the Crookeds with the Straights’
Some 20 odd years ago, I first read the play Fences by August Wilson. I was a high schooler – a senior, I think. One of four black students in a graduating class of about 100 at an all-boys prep school. There were many reasons why I was different. There were many reasons why I felt I didn’t belong. There were many reasons why I didn’t want to be there. Yet, there I was. I don't remember all of those days vividly, but certain ones stand out – one being the day I noticed a copy of that play sitting on a stack of textbooks for the school year. It had the ghost-like outline of James Earl … [Read more...]
Raising Children to Appreciate Diverse World Takes Parental Guidance
My child and I recently walked by a black woman dressed, head to toe, in purple. Several layers of purple actually, including a purple Red Sox hat. She stood out. My 2-year-old says the word “purple” a moment later and I agree with his observation. “She was wearing a lot of purple,” I say. And then I wait to see if there are any other questions or observations, but none followed. We keep walking and I’m thinking about how in the future the conversation will likely go past just the word “purple” and lead into questions around other differences he observed. Discussing racial differences, … [Read more...]
Black Son Helps White Dad Reflect on Being Minority in Other’s Homeland
“Dad, did you feel weird in Africa?" The question from my 12-year-old son, Yosef, caught me off guard. My face must have told him so. "You know," he continued, "because you were white?” Maybe it was because I was jet-lagged and tired of chasing my 2-year-old daughter around the gate area during our flight delay. Or, maybe it’s because I rarely think about race even though my son is black and the rest of our family is white. We adopted Yosef nearly 11 years ago from Ethiopia, and our recent trip to visit my wife's relatives in the nation of Senegal would be his first back to Africa … [Read more...]
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