What does it take for a father to raise black boys in 1980's West Baltimore? Just ask Ta-Nehisi Coates. His new book, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood, details how his father raised him and his siblings under otherwise bleak circumstances.
Comments [10]
I thought that maybe it was just me....but the conversation was def. cut off in the recording!?!?!?
What happened to the rest of the segment?
It seems that the agencies designed to look after the best interest of children and maintain the family unit seem more interested in fragmenting families, especiaaly in low-income communities where there is less access to good lawyers. Furthermore, I would love to hear a discussion of the labels "single" mother and "deadbeat" dad. My mother defined herself as a single mother when I was growing up and my father as a dead beat dad despite the fact that we lived with my father every weekend and alternating holidays. I have found through my own research that these problems are extrememly widespread, especially in low-income communities, yet very rarely spoken about in the public sphere.
One thing that I would be so glad for you to address is the role that family court plays in alienating fathers from their children. Although the term deadbeat dad and absentee father are frequently used in the media, so few people are willing to look at the role that the Department of Social Services (specifically welfare and Home Relief) and Family Court play in alienating father's from their children. In many of these situations the father is simply brought to family court, denied access to competent legal aid, and demanded to foot toe bill of welfare/home relief. My husban, step-brother, father, and step father have all endured years of fighting family courts and Child Support Collection Units because of unfair judgements, bias judges and prosecuters, and years of "mistakes" on amount of support owed.
Same reason my mom rejects Mothers' Day. And they're right!
This guest speaker has a wonderful speaking voice and is an inspirational speaker.
this link works:
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Struggle-Father-Unlikely-Manhood/dp/B0018E5GMY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213370453&sr=8-1
I love the comment on how Wu Tang are ultimately nerds. SO TRUE!!! HAHA!! Gotta love em.
Please ask Mr. Coates what he thinks is important about having a father -- what a father "brings" to the raising of children -- that is different than that of a mother.
BTW, the link to the book didn't work, but this one should:
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Struggle-Father-Unlikely-Manhood/dp/0385520360/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213369784&sr=1-1
No Sampras comment section??? Well just had to say that PV is far from middle class!!
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