MCJ Editorial

Fatherhood summit: Helping men become fathers of worth and greatness

This weekend, from Friday October 10 to 12, thousands of Black men will gather to empower and uplift themselves when the third annual Mayor’s Fatherhood Summit is held at the Destiny Youth Plaza on the corner of Good Hope and 76th Street on the city’s northwest side.

The event, which is the vision of Mayor Tom Barrett and Terence Ray has grown each year to enable Milwaukee fathers to access the tools and information to help them successfully navigate the road of fatherhood and reconnect or forge a stronger connection with their children.

Added to the components of health, education, employment and the reconciliation of driver’s license and child support issues, this year has a faith-based component which will address men’s spiritual needs. This will include encouraging ministers in area churches this Sunday to declare October 12 “Father’s Day” and have them address fatherhood in their respective sermons.

We are glad to see the continued growth of the summit. Even more gratifying is to see more and more Black men step forward and “man-up” or at least be given the “tools” that will allow them to continue manning up and being in their children’s lives, if not every day, at least for as often as possible. These fathers are determined to make a positive difference in the lives of those they helped conceive.

We encourage all fathers -- those who have been to the summit before or contemplating going for the first time -- to attend and soak up as much knowledge and information as they can and equip themselves to take on the challenges of fatherhood with all of today’s challenges of violence, pre-marital sex, racism and discrimination -- which is still alive and well in America -- also new this year is technology’s enthrallment of the masses.

Studies have shown that men must come back into the lives of their estranged children and/or continue having an impact on their children -- boys and girls -- if they are to face today’s challenges with confidence.

If you are a father and are seeking guidance on how to be a better father, attend the summit this weekend so that you too -- as the summit’s theme says -- can become a father of worth and greatness.