Black Girl Dad Week to promote family fun, community conversation

Some of Tucker’s advice for Black fathers includes getting to know their daughters’ teachers and administrators, and making their voices heard. But she is especially interested in hearing directly from dads about obstacles that prevent them from being more involved.

“What are those barriers and challenges that you go through?” Tucker said. “We just want to start that conversation there to see what we can we do to help you.”

Fathers will learn how to nurture their daughters as future entrepreneurs and leaders during the week. For example, on Wednesday at noon, Rawlings-Blake will lead a Zoom discussion, “Madam President: We See You & We Support You,” which encourages Black men and boys to advocate for Black women in politics.

Levert, the new father, said he’s excited for the opportunity to be part of discussions like this.

“I love how a lot of the country is recognizing the importance of making space for unapologetically Black dialogue,” he said. “There’s this narrative that Black men aren’t involved in the lives of their daughters. There’s narratives that Black men are causing a lot of harm. And both of those things may be true to some degree, but I don’t think it’s healthy or helpful to continue to perpetuate that stereotype unless you’re having a constructive dialogue about celebrating what’s good and getting nitty-gritty with the solution.”

Fostering health, having fun and creating memories

Part of Black Girl Dad Week will involve diving into deep-seated issues with a conversation on “healthy masculinities” led by author Tony Porter and Bishop Timothy Clarke of First Church of God on Columbus’ Southeast Side. The event will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ohio State University’s Fawcett Center.

Laymon, the author, will lead “Healing & Reconciliation Day” at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 via Zoom. He will discuss Black parenting and trauma, among the topics covered in his critically acclaimed book, “Heavy: An American Memoir.”

As a reprieve from those heavier discussions, Woods included opportunities for families to have fun during the week, too. He is encouraging fathers to take pictures and videos of themselves taking their daughters to work with them on Monday and to school on Tuesday. They can share them on social media using the hashtags #blackgirldadwork and #blackgirldadschool, and submit them to blackgirldadweek.com/gallery.

Other fond memories will be created at the Black Father Daughter Dance on Feb. 18, which excites COSI President and CEO Frederic Bertley, an honorary co-chair of Black Girl Dad Week.

“As a Black man that has a Black daughter, the idea of celebrating, recognizing and elevating the importance of that relationship just resonated with my very DNA,” he said. “On top of that, the fact that we can do that in a space that recognizes and loves science for me is an extra layer of goodness.”

Woods said he hopes Black boys and men will see that fatherhood is not just about roles and responsibility; it fills one’s life with meaning and purpose.

“This unique opportunity that we have as fathers and father figures to raise our children, particularly our daughters, is what life is about.”

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