A Tribute to the Black Men in My Family!

A Tribute to the Black Men in My Family!

Now that I have gotten "Old Black Charlie" off of my chest, I would like to wish ALL of the other men in my family, Brown/ Washington, Miles/Darden, Williams/Brown, and so many others a very HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. (NOTE: I sent a formal Happy Father's Day to the Miles men earlier this morning in our family text.)
Many of you represent what I believe a "good" father should be, and I am so proud of today's fathers who have been given the freedom to openly love, protect, care for, and be with their children. Bein there in the home has not always been the case in Black families in America.

I smile when I see my son with his children and how he is raising his sons and daughter. Marvion, my eldest grandson, is a marvel with his two children. I enjoy watching Lee-Lee with his two children walking everywhere and doing all the things considered women's work when I was growing up. Knowing the love Tim has for his first two sons, and then his new daughter and his wife; s two sons, tells me that the new fatherhood for Black men is special. Just thinking about Duck with his son and seeing him take on the role of a father is pure joy. Then there is Big Frank and the wonderful family he has created.

I know that the other young men in the Miles family are off to a better life than I could have even dreamed of as a child. My men folks have come along and created the families that I would have killed for as a child.
YES, I have seen some of the other fathers in this family, Rufus Miles, Jr., Pete Hernandez, Lester Williams, Justin Williams, Keith Owes, to name a few. Thank you to all of you for being not just dads but FATHERS. Our family is stronger because of you.

As responsible person and a man, we always know where our children are, AND we take care of our own. We are some times blocked by legalities, but we are overcomers, and our children are TRULY our future!
The men in my family are fathers, not somebody's baby daddy! Thank you to all of you, and I am proud of all of you.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO YOU, and may you always be there for your children and your families.