Article by:
Shaundell Newsome
God said to Abraham “I will give you this land for your descendants. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky."
Since the beginning of time fathers have been special. The Bible speaks of fathers in a way that is noble, honorable, and respectful. Over the centuries the brand of fathers has diminished as mothers have played a more prominent role in leading the family, especially in the Black family. In my opinion dads are very special. Society has created a narrative about fathers, in particular Black fathers, that characterizes most of us to be “dead beats” or irresponsible. The real story needs to be told. Dads are special. Black dads should be applauded for overcoming generations of degradation of the Black man in America from slavery to Jim Crow to today in the media.
Let’s start with my dad, Bobby Newsome, who had no relationship with his father even though they lived in the same household. How is this possible? My grandfather suffered from the residue of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, according to the book written by Dr. Joy Degruy, a renowned researcher and educator. The Jim Crow South did a number on him, mentally that made fatherhood nearly impossible. But, to my father’s credit he decided to break that cycle and influence his five sons, including me to be the example of a father that is noble, honorable, and respectful. We decided to be great dads.
My father in love, Charlie Glover was the patriarch of his family, raising nine children with his wife, Fannie in North Las Vegas. His children describe him as the man portrayed in Disciplines of a Godly Man, a book written by Kent Hughes. It’s not surprising because his unwavering faith in God is how he lived. This is in stark contrast to many of the men in his community who beat their wives and ignored their responsibilities as a parent, according to a good friend who grew up in the same neighborhood. His sons decided to become great dads.
A father is called upon to be a leader and protector for the family, and to give an example of Christ's love by being loving towards the children's mother. He is also to be strong in faith, and to bring the children up knowing right from wrong. Dads are special. We need the media, social media, and our communities to highlight these examples more than the negative ones. We need to start the story with dads are special.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shaundell Newsome is a three-time (Small Business Administration) SBA Award winner, founder of Sumnu Marketing, a family-owned firm and dedicated father of eight children and grandfather of 18 grandchildren. He believes that a father is crucial to the family structure, his wife, children, and community. Visit his website www.shaundellnewsome.com for more information.