The Black Informant

My Dad

It may be true that behind every great man stands a great woman; however, that man is standing on the shoulders of another great man. Today, I want to tell you about a man whose shoulders I stand on–my dad.

Born in Jim Crow south, my dad was no stranger to struggle and hard work. His mom died at a very young age which placed extra responsibilities on him and his other siblings. It wasn’t too long that his father remarried. She also died a few years later.

Because his dad was seemingly always working, unlike his other siblings he really did not know his dad like they did. When his father finally died (my dad was still pretty young at the time), he had to pinch himself at the funeral to make himself cry because he kinda felt out of place with the rest of his family.

In high school, my dad met my mom they began a romance that lasted for over 30 years.

After attending Bennett College in North Carolina, my dad relocated to Philadelphia, PA where my mom was soon to follow. It was here where they had me.

My dad worked different jobs. At one point, he was a driver of the Mister Softee ice cream truck. With the help of my uncle, he was able to secure a job with a steel factory in Philly. He worked his way up from an entry-level job to management. I believe that he was with that company for over 25 years.

In the late 70’s, he was able to relocate his family to New Jersey. It was here he remained until his death in January, 2002.

Like many men from his era, my Dad was not one to show a whole lot of affection. I wish I could say that my dad was like some of the TV Dads we grew up with, but that was not the case. The way that he showed his love towards us was to work very hard in order to provide for his family. This was something that I did not understand or appreciate until later in life.

There was never any doubt in my mind that he loved my mom very much. I never heard him disrespect my mom in any way. He always spoke very highly of her even around his friends.

One of his greatest desires was to see the men around him live up to their responsibilities. This is why he spent so much time counseling men both in the prison system and at his workplace. From time to time he would sponsor events that would encourage men to be all that they could be. This was more than his way of giving back to the community. He knew that it was his duty to do this in a world that always spoke negatively about our men.

There are so many other things that I could say about my dad right now, but I think I will stop for now. I thank God for the example that he left me. He showed me the importance of staying faithful to both my wife and kids, to work hard, and to stand up for what I believe.

Thanks, dad!