To all the dads in the making and the dads who are just getting started, I got your back Diary of a Mad Black Dad is a safe space for you and other dads like you. The days are long, and the years are short. The wage is below the minimum but the experience is worth every minute. Parenting will stretch you in ways you didn’t know were possible. It will make you self-aware and you’ll discover new things about yourself frequently. From their first steps to the first time they call you daddy… enjoy the ride and live in the moment. Take this day to revel in one of the most sacred roles ever to be cr ..read more

I see myself in Dom more and more each day, but now its starting to get scary and really making me reflect. Dom has hit the age where he is independent; he can do most things by himself besides cook and drive. He loves his independence and becomes incensed when we infringe upon it. So much so that he will refuse help but still get frustrated when he’s unable to complete the task on his own. The other day while getting ready for school, Dom picked out his clothes, put on his shoes, and was ready to go. He didn’t match one bit! To his dismay, I sent him back to his room to change. He dropped his ..read more

I haven’t written without structure in a long time. I love structured or even themed writings but sometimes you just have to let your thoughts flow and accept what comes out. Here we go. This sleep apnea mask is very unsexy. I joke that weapon X is loading & that’s how I look. The tube keeps me from rolling over and the mask won’t let me lay on my side so I’m a back sleeper now. Fortunately, this mask works! I sleep all night and so does everyone else lol. I don’t feel tired mid-day, even if I have a big lunch. I feel better and I’m thinking more clearly. My mood is more upbeat than before ..read more

Thoughts & ramblings in an empty office space Now I want to take what’s mine to take my future back to take my piece of the pie to take my (Black) American Dream to take my 40 acres & a mule to take my reparations to take my retirement to take my self to take to take to take all to make Our economy work — for me ..read more

For the past 5 years I have been on this amazing rollercoaster called fatherhood, it as I like to call it, dadhood. So far, so good… I’ve learned a lot, but I could fill a library with what I don't know. I remember early on, my lessons came from my older family members who would give “advice”… strangely enough it always came in the form of riddles, parables and scriptures. Here’s some of my favorites. “Feed the baby, not the clock” “Sometimes you gotta chastise them” “Spare the rod, spoil the child” I’ll be honest, it was bullshit at first, but they’ve proved to be valuable up to this point. I ..read more

To the mother of my children, There isn’t enough of anything to give you a proper thank you for being a mother. I hope these words are a healthy start. Each year, one day is set aside for you. It is meant to celebrate you and the literal blood, sweat, and tears you have put into being a mother. It is meant to celebrate the love, support, and time you put into our children. I believe witnessing you progressing through your motherhood journey changes my love for you. You carried and gave birth to two of the most beautiful people in the world. With your body and spirit, you created our children ..read more

Jay-Z Hov Jigga Man The Best Rapper Alive Shawn Carter Embarrassing Dad As much as men will say hip hop or the streets or a particular rapper (I.e. Jay-Z) raised them, we have been honored with the chance to watch Jay grow up. We saw his rise to fame with Rocafella Records, we saw him court and marry “the baddest chick in the game”, we also saw his struggles and triumphs in that same marriage, but by far, my favorite part is seeing him in dad mode. Jay & Bey are quite private about their home life, the few glimpses we do get tells us absolutely nothing about the intricacies of their parent ..read more

I didn't get a lot of time with my father before he passed away while I was a teenager. I didn't really know him until I was eight years old and had to move in with him after my mother passed. He would send an occasional birthday gift but I don't know if I ever remembered his voice before then. When I lived with him, he was hardly home because he was working all the time. I had four other siblings so money was always an issue. That was fine, because I was feigning independence at my age. While I lived with him, I didn't reflect on what kind of dad he was and I guess that's a good thing, becaus ..read more

I’ve always been struck by the insidious impact of slavery on Black American family life — from separation to rape to breeding to being used as lactation for white children (and not their own) to power dynamics and hierarchical structure to disproportionate physical & emotional burden sharing (and the abuses that come from them). However, to this day, I’m struck by the unusual relationships between white fathers and their sons. White sons seemingly worship (or fear, or emulate, or some combination) their fathers. It seems to be ingrained within them at birth from generation to generation ..read more

Man, my dad is a man that gets better with time in my eyes. From my point of view, I always believed in my dad like all boys want to. When I was a small child I remember my dad's pitfalls. I remember waiting on my grandma’s porch for him deep into the summer night. My bags were all packed and shit just waiting. I recall other things I will not mention but will laugh at as I type this. Then I remember one day he came to my house when I was about 10 and he was talking to my mom about how he was going to be around to get me more consistently. I only saw a peak out of that side door of the cape-co ..read more