We've watched the daytime, talk shows. Around 2:00 PM central time, Maury Povich proclaimed "You are the father! You are not the father!" Distraught couples are put through this chaos to get the question answered. But, have you noticed a recurring theme? Black men placed themselves under this ridiculous scrutiny. When paternity is determined, very few stepped up to be fathers.

The comedy of errors masked an unlying, social problem. Black fathers are absent in raising their children. Our present generation is abandoned, unloved and angered. Sons and daughters of part-time or missing fathers of the pasts became the mentally disturbed and emotionally troubled adults of today. Over 52% of parents get divorced. Over 33% of American children grew up in single-parent homes. In the black community, the numbers spiked to over 40%. Most of these homes are from single-mothers. Women are raising their boys to be men. The concept, though noble, produced a legion of man-children who believe women are around to support their lifestyle. Without a man teaching his son, certain ideals get lost in the upbringing.

1) How is a man supposed to treat a woman? Men aren't supposed to abuse their women. Men are supposed to lay their hands on women out of anger. Men aren't supposed to belittle, demean and emotionally batter their spouses in order to control them. A man is taught to respect their woman. A man is taught to treat his woman as his equal. When a mother is abandoned or mistreated by a man, how is she supposed to treat gender respect to her son or daughter?

2) How is a man supposed to treat his community? Men are the protectors of their home and environment. They aren't supposed to be predators within their home and environment. Robbing neighbors, selling drugs, running gangs and murdering folks are crimes that take from a community. They are crimes committed by predators. A man is supposed to make his community safe from disorder, quiet of disturbance and silent of chaos. The men are looked upon as a community's bodyguards and leaders. A man has to keep his community safe for others to raise their families.

3) How is a man supposed to treat his children? A well-dressed, well-spoken and upstanding man is looked as a hero within his community. Being a good father has lost its prestige. Flash and quick cash replaced stability and responsibility. This generation, boys and girls are attracted to the dope dealers, the pimps and other street criminals. There are no fathers or male, role models in the home. Men perpretrating as "M.E.N." are taking over mentoring these at-risk kids. Young men are believing fast cash is the highway to a fast lifestyle. Young women are devaluing their bodies and selling their dignities to latch onto a "baller" or pimp. In Florida, a twelve year-old, African-American boy received life imprisonment for gunning down his seventh-grade teacher. The courts decided his black child's life couldn't be saved. They sent a pre-teen to live among serial killers and rapists for the rest of his natural life.

Every other week, there are scantily-clad girls found dead in drainage ditches, gutters and alleydays of America's cities. They died as victims of sex crimes. The internet allowed pedophiles and predators to solicit children door to door. We opened our doors. And then, the beasts entered our homes.

In the black community, a father's presence provided a barrier to keep out the monsters. Once they left, monsters moved under our children's beds.

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about The absence of black fathers in the home?
We want to hear your view. Write now!