“For a very long time, there has been an increased awareness of the positive, constructive interactions between Black male role-models and Black boys. The lack of fathers in the home and the negativity associated with broken families and “dead-beat dads”, has been center stage in the Black community.

While our attention on the father-son, male role-model/Black male child relationship continues to grow, we cannot forget about the strong influences Black fathers have on their pre-teen and teenage daughters – or how the behaviors of Black males impact the lives of girls around them. A well-rounded father, or any positive male figure, is crucial to the psychological and social development of a teenage girl. What girls see and hear can play an important role in how they respond and react to men as they get older (more…).”

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What I hope emerges out of this situation down in Durham is a national dialogue in the black community that addresses WITH AN ACTION PLAN on how to reverse the trend of fatherless homes. Too many folks have been jumping on the “It’s the system’s fault that this young woman had to resort to stripping to support her two kids” bandwagon. Where is the father (or fathers) of these children? Seems to me if someone was paying child support…let me stop right there because to some, I am “beating up” on black folks.