“He Said – She Said”
Do you really need a man to help raise your child?
By Don Valentine & Kerlande Harrison
He Said: In a recent article in the New York Daily News, Denzel Washington is quoted as saying in The New York Daily News, “If a young man doesn’t have a father figure, he’ll go find a father figure,” the actor said.
Single Moms, say with me “Hallelujah to the Lord!”. Best case scenario is for your son is to have their Dad at home grooming them on what it means to be a man! How can you say that a Mom by herself can raise her boy better than with a good man?
She Said: Don, we both know there is only one thing a man is needed for to have a son. There are countless men raised by single mothers who grew up to be well-rounded, successful adults, even to the point of becoming President of the United States!
Fatherhood doesn’t eliminate criminality. Many young Black men sentenced to prison had active father figures in their lives. Plus, a lot of those so called fathers can’t even pay their child support consistently.
He Said: Kerlande, having a male role to emulate is just what every young man needs to prosper. Ladies, I encourage you to seek that male figure to bond with your son if his Dad is unavailable. A lot of boys find a sport coach, a member of your Church or a family member. A candid conversation with a man on what your son is thinking about can make a huge change. It could be the difference between your boy going to college or doing 5 years in prison.
She Said: The mass incarceration of Black men has made it hard on Black women. They have had no choice but, to be the single parents. Unfortunately, this has made it difficult for those young men to find those father figures. Frankly, some fathers make single motherhood out to be a blessing in disguise. Put me down with Beyonce “All My Single Ladies”. We can do it just fine without a man.
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