Happy Fathers Day: My Daddy and All Dads

In 19 39 E. Franklin Frazier in his book, "The Negro Family in the United States," and years later in 1965 in Senator Daniel P. Moynihan's "Report" on the State of the Black Family both authors argued that the survival and strength of the African-American family rest with the leadership of the father and that the positive male image is missing in the nuclear family structure. Sadly, our society has fallen into the belief that Black fathers are missing in the protection, nurturing, and growth of their families. We have come to attack and stereotype fathers as sperm throwers, wife beaters, and children haters. However, there are millions of good African-American fathers in this nation. One of these fathers is my own daddy.

Like millions of people in the United States my father is an immigrant. He first entered America from Costa Rica as an illegal visitor. However, loving the dreams that he had for the nation he voluntarily left the United States returning to Limon, Costa Rica to apply legally to re-enter the USA. In his return he drove taxi es in New York, hustled clothing, attended City College in New York, while raising four children and caring for my mother. In addition to these pressures he had to deal with White racism and native African-American ignorance of Afro-Latino culture. That is, he looked like he was from any Black community in the United States; but, sounded like Ricardo on the famed "I Love Lucy" show. In spite of these hurdles he later attended three more colleges ultimately earning a doctorate degree in theology and building a chain of religious supply stores. But, in that period between entry into the United States and business success my father experienced the hazards of being a Black male in the United States.

What are these hazards? Being denied loans, housing, employment due to your race. Being stopped and harassed by bigoted police because of their misuse of law. Having ignorant Whites taking the liberty to refer to you as boy because they feel empowered to due so because of their race. Being referred to as an "uppity" or "full of it" because of one's community status or accomplishments. Or, having extra-legal racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan burn a cross on your front lawn and threatening to murder your entire family. These are just a fraction of the things my father faced as the leader of our home.

However, in spite of these activities he never illustrated a sense of hopelessness and victim hood. He found a way to survive and protect his family. In times of little money, we never went without shelter, clothing, or food. In times when my sisters and myself experienced blatant racism at school he demanded and got changes for African-American students. In a period that showcased African-Americans as clowns, and buffoons my father taught us about the great civilizations of the Egyptians, the Sudanese, and Maroon societies in America. In an era that reasoned that Blacks had no religious culture and history before Christianity and Islam my father taught us never to forget about African religious traditions that are practiced not only in Africa; but also, in Brazil, Costa Rica, Columbia, Haiti, Jamaica, and even in the United States.

My father, Dr. Vibert White, Sr., represented the best of manhood. However, he was not alone. There are millions like my father. I can only hope and pray that I am half the father to my children as my daddy and his peers are to their offspring. This Sunday celebrate with your father or community daddy. Show them the love, respect, and honor that are deprived to them daily. Remind America--there are more good Black dads than bad ones. Again, happy Father's Day--Daddy and to all the real American fathers.