By Congressman Kweisi Mfume
This week, I am wishing a Happy Father’s Day to every father, father figure and family. It is the joy of my life to be a father and a grandfather, and I cherish the honor and responsibility every day.
It is essential to give thanks to all the fathers – biological and otherwise – who are around us and in our lives day in and day out.
When a child steps into your world, your life changes forever. That new life is yours to oversee, guide, mentor and protect. As all fathers know – there are no limits to the ends that a man will go to ensure his child’s health, safety and security.
But fatherhood is not without its challenges. With the addition of new life comes unforeseen tests. It is not just the blossoming of a new relationship between father and child, but a new chapter in your relationship with the world around you. We are tested as men and challenged to overcome the day-to-day obstacles of fatherhood. But when we are successful in this pursuit, we become an evolved version of ourselves.
In the harsh reality of life, situations and circumstances can get out of control. Oftentimes, they will get in the way of our journey through life as fathers. The infamous government “man in the house” rules of the 1960s were a case in point. Those government regulations mandated that a child – who otherwise qualified for public assistance – be rejected if there was a single or married able-bodied man living in the home. That rule hastened the disintegration of Black families during that era and was punitive, mean and short-sighted.
Our government system of public assistance is designed to ensure that all Americans are able to receive basic human needs. Hindering those who rely on these benefits to live, simply because they have a father figure present, was unquestionably wrong. While the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this rule in 1968, I know that this inhumane policy took a toll on those Americans who were subjected to its harsh penalties.
In my capacity as both a father and an elected official, I have worked tirelessly to champion the voices and needs of fathers, mothers, children and families. I have sought to protect the most vulnerable among us and work legislatively to support all fathers and father figures across our nation.
In just this year alone, I successfully worked with others to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in Community Project Funding to support those purposes. This direct federal funding will expand and improve a number of family-related efforts, such as the LIGHT Rock Children’s Village in Baltimore, allowing for increased enrollment in early childhood education efforts. These investments are a commitment to supporting our children’s futures, which I know is principal in the minds and hearts of fathers across our nation.
Equally as important were the successful efforts to enhance the Child Tax Credit passed as part of the American Rescue Plan in Congress. Family support measures such as this are the building blocks which bolster fathers and fatherhood by lifting millions of children out of poverty in 2021 alone.
As a community, we must always encourage the roles of both fathers and mothers in a society where unfortunately families face harsh scrutiny and are devalued at times. We know that by supporting fathers and fatherhood we are also guaranteeing a future that is directly opposite of the aforementioned government policy and attempts of the 1960s to tear down that future.
On this Father’s Day, let us support and continue to encourage all of the dads who have answered the call of being a guardian, leader, teacher, mentor and most of all father to the children of our communities.
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