Even though Father's Day was 2 weeks ago and maybe you have a little father fatigue, we don't need a special occasion to recognize what our dads have done for us. I'm always thankful for my dad who told me at 13 not to be stressed out about dudes because they are "young, dumb and full of cum." That has stuck with me and I have to pull that out of my arsenal as a women at 28. Apparently, being dumb and full of cum doesn't really change to much with age...but thanks, Pops, for the warning.
So below is an announcement for a book edited by a BK-based goddess, April Silver of Akilah Worksongs, "Be A Father To Your Child." Please support this book, and the sisters and brothers, who made this happen. Special recognition to Chuck Creekmur, co-founder and CEO of AllHipHop.com who hosted the launch event. He's a wonderful dad to his daughter, a model in our community.
Discusses Family, Love, Fatherhood
and Hip Hop, as Told by Black Men!
In the age of hip hop, how do Black fathers relate to their children, as well as to their own fathers? How do they see—and play—their roles in both family and community?
Editor April R. Silver weaves together a seamless tapestry of essays, poems, lyrics, and interviews from both analytic and anecdotal perspectives- from the corner to the campus- to address issues of Black masculinity and fatherhood at the birth and maturation of hip hop culture.
Be a Father to Your Child begins with a frank discussion of how family formation has changed since the 1960s, especially for communities of color. Individual sections then flesh out historical, sociological, and cultural contexts, examining the impact of welfare, child support, criminal justice, and employment policies on young men of color, Black men in particular. Key to this section is the role of hip hop as an influential cultural phenomenon that shaped the individual writer's conceptions of sexual behavior, family formation, fathering, and community building. Gripping firsthand narratives expound on statistical data to form a powerful composite portrait of the challenges facing modern African American communities, and how to overcome them. Be a Father to Your Child (Soft Skull Press/Counterpoint; Trade Paper; June 2008; $17.95; 978-1-59376-192-9) is a timely and accessible anthology that reaches across genres to understand how young Black fathers relate to their children, their fathers, and themselves.
“Buy a book, support a cause!” One of the main objectives of Be a Father to Your Child is to support the Black Men and Boys Initiative (BMB) of the Twenty-First Century Foundation (www.21cf.org). BMB exists to provide grants for work aimed at “addressing the root causes of problems facing Black men and boys.” BMB also seeks to “raise the visibility of critical issues facing Black men and boys nationally in a way that leads to substantive action.” For this reason, the contributors and the editor Be a Father to Your Child have agreed to forgo their royalties in order to make the project a charitable cause. Royalties will be donated to support the BMB initiative.
Be a Father to Your Child Contributors *
About the Editor:
April R. Silver is a widely respected social entrepreneur, activist, and writer. She is founder of AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc., an “arts and activism” multi-service company and is co-founder/producer of the country’s first national hip hop conference (Howard University, 1991). A former television talk show host of My Two Cents on BETJ, she has been frequently featured, profiled, or quoted in Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Ebony, Ms., The Amsterdam News, and many other outlets. Silver resides and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Editor April R. Silver weaves together a seamless tapestry of essays, poems, lyrics, and interviews from both analytic and anecdotal perspectives- from the corner to the campus- to address issues of Black masculinity and fatherhood at the birth and maturation of hip hop culture.
Be a Father to Your Child begins with a frank discussion of how family formation has changed since the 1960s, especially for communities of color. Individual sections then flesh out historical, sociological, and cultural contexts, examining the impact of welfare, child support, criminal justice, and employment policies on young men of color, Black men in particular. Key to this section is the role of hip hop as an influential cultural phenomenon that shaped the individual writer's conceptions of sexual behavior, family formation, fathering, and community building. Gripping firsthand narratives expound on statistical data to form a powerful composite portrait of the challenges facing modern African American communities, and how to overcome them. Be a Father to Your Child (Soft Skull Press/Counterpoint; Trade Paper; June 2008; $17.95; 978-1-59376-192-9) is a timely and accessible anthology that reaches across genres to understand how young Black fathers relate to their children, their fathers, and themselves.
“Buy a book, support a cause!” One of the main objectives of Be a Father to Your Child is to support the Black Men and Boys Initiative (BMB) of the Twenty-First Century Foundation (www.21cf.org). BMB exists to provide grants for work aimed at “addressing the root causes of problems facing Black men and boys.” BMB also seeks to “raise the visibility of critical issues facing Black men and boys nationally in a way that leads to substantive action.” For this reason, the contributors and the editor Be a Father to Your Child have agreed to forgo their royalties in order to make the project a charitable cause. Royalties will be donated to support the BMB initiative.
Be a Father to Your Child Contributors *
Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele• Adisa Banjoko• Mo Beasley• Thabiti Boone• Dion “Showtime”Chavis• William Jelani Cobb• Davey D.• Steven G.Fullwood• Loren S. Harris• Lasana Omar Hotep• Byron Hurt• Timothy D.Jones• Saddi Khali• Bakari Kitwana• Talib Kweli• Aaron Lloyd• Shaun Neblett• James Peterson• Kevin Powell• Rhymefest• Bill Stephney• Cheo Tyehimba• Kevin Williams• Alford A. Young, Jr.
About the Editor:
April R. Silver is a widely respected social entrepreneur, activist, and writer. She is founder of AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc., an “arts and activism” multi-service company and is co-founder/producer of the country’s first national hip hop conference (Howard University, 1991). A former television talk show host of My Two Cents on BETJ, she has been frequently featured, profiled, or quoted in Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Ebony, Ms., The Amsterdam News, and many other outlets. Silver resides and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Please direct media inquiries to AKILA WORKSONGS Public Relations: Thysha M. Shabazz at thysha@akilaworksongs.com or media@beafathertoyourchild.com or call 718.756.8501. For general information, send an email to info@beafathertoyouchild.com.
Visit www.beafathertoyourchild.com.
on Family, Love, and Fatherhood
Edited by April R. Silver June 2008; Trade Paper; 272 pages; $17.95; 978-1-59376-192-9 Soft Skull Press / Counterpoint / www.counterpointpress.com Distributed by Publishers Group West
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