Black Fathers and Mass Incarceration: The Relational Toll

“Incarceration damages familial relationships and stability by separating people from their support systems, disrupting continuity of families, and causing lifelong health impacts that impede families from thriving. The high cost of maintaining contact with incarcerated family members led more than one in three families (34%) into debt to pay for phone calls and visits alone. Family members who were not able to talk or visit with their loved ones regularly were much more likely to report experiencing negative health impacts related to a family member’s incarceration.” http://whopaysreport.org/key-findings/

Though often overlooked or spoken down upon due to the media’s push of the “dead-beat dad” or “absent father” stereotype, and many times from the narrative that Black women has taken on about Black men exacerbate relational dynamics and circumstances.  Black men play a vital role in the family and community structures. A new narrative created by the community could invite lifting and acknowledging how Black men engage with other men in healthy familial, social, and professional ways. This allows for the exchange of ideas, creation of comradely, and increase in building relational, emotional, financial and health stability in the Black community, while reinforcing positive male to male interaction and social development. 

When men can engage with one another while being their authentic self, young Black children are given permission to do the same. Black youth also learn how to engage with others while being connected with their emotions in a healthy way and how to properly cope in times of frustration, anger, sadness, or stress. Black men become fully present to their leadership and how vital they are in their families, communities, the nation, and the world!