The Myth and Reality of the Absentee Black Father: A Critical Examination

Yes, I believe! I am caught up in the Coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders’ Mania and social phenomena. Not because of the football hype, his brief messianic tenure and success at Jackson State University, or his abrupt transition and mission to the University of Colorado. Or is it the economic impact he has attracted to the city of Boulder and the University of Colorado, or his 3-0 start to his first season? Not even the fact that he was an incredible athlete in his day: three-sport college athlete and a Hall of Famer in college and pro football. None of these opportunities or accomplishments resonate with me, like his presence as a Black father and his public display of Black male affection toward his sons, specifically within the context of football. This is extremely refreshing and a reprieve from the persistent images of Black fathers being assassinated by cops in front of their families as eyewitnesses or by way of the media (Philando Castile, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Manuel Loggins, and the list goes on….) and definitely from the dominant narrative of the absentee Black father.  

The narrative surrounding the absentee Black father has been deeply ingrained in American society for decades. This stereotype posits that Black fathers are disproportionately absent from their families, thereby contributing to a cycle of poverty, crime, and underachievement within the Black community. However, this narrative is not only overly simplistic but also empirically flawed. This op-ed aims to critically examine the issue of the absentee Black father by briefly highlighting some of the social, economic, and systemic factors that contribute to this stereotype while also highlighting how this narrative perpetuates racial inequality. Finally, I conclude that Coach Sanders is not an anomaly but, for me, the norm, despite what statistics seek to imply.

The Historical Context of the Absentee Black Father

One must examine the historical context to understand the origins of the absentee Black father stereotype. The roots can be traced back to the era of slavery, where Black families were systematically torn apart for economic gain. Black men, women, and even their children were torn away and sold as property to the highest bidder. The offspring of Black fathers were economic value and gain to the enslaver; however, fathering was not esteemed and rarely condoned. Post-slavery, the Jim Crow era further marginalized and terrorized Black men, making it difficult for them to fulfill traditional familial roles. However, there are counternarratives (see, e.g., Libra R. Hilde’s account on slavery and fatherhood) that inform of how some Black fathers, despite the perils of slavery, were able to maintain a role as a father in the enslaved Black family. Regardless of these few counternarratives, the historical context of slavery and the post-slavery eras are crucial for understanding the contemporary issues facing Black fathers, as they set the stage for systemic disadvantages often overlooked in mainstream discourse.

The Statistical Shift

Despite data from the U.S. Census Bureau or the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which suggest that the majority of Black children lived in single-family households that are headed chiefly by women, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other reputable sources, like the Black American Dad Foundation, indicate that Black fathers are just as involved—if not more so—in the lives of their children compared to fathers from other racial and ethnic groups. They are more likely to feed, bathe, play with, and read to their children daily. The narrative of the absentee Black father, therefore, is not only misleading but also damaging, as it perpetuates a stereotype that is not supported by empirical evidence. This statistical shift exposes the myth of the absentee Black father. Yet, there are still changes to increasing Black father’s presence in Black households.

Systemic Factors and the Absentee Black Father Narrative

The prevalence of white supremacy has been pervasive in the systemic factors associated with the narrative of the absentee Black father. Thus, the issue of absentee Black fathers cannot be discussed without addressing the systemic factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Mass incarceration, fueled by policies such as Nixon’s War on Drugs and Clinton’s Crime Bill, has disproportionately affected Black men, removing them from their families and communities. For example, Black men lead all racial groups in the U.S. on the likelihood of being imprisoned, where one in every three Black men can expect to be incarcerated in their lifetime, compared to one in every 17 White men. Economic factors such as unemployment and underemployment also play a significant role. These systemic issues create a cycle that is difficult to break and is often mischaracterized as a failure of individual responsibility rather than a system failure. Currently, the weaponization of white supremacy and anti-black racism magnifies these systemic factors, creating additional challenges to and attacks on Black fatherhood.

Cultural and Media Perceptions

Ideological hegemony and the role of media images often reinforce the stereotype of the absentee Black father. Television shows, news reports, and movies frequently depict Black fathers as neglectful, irresponsible, or altogether absent. These portrayals perpetuate this stereotype and contribute to internalizing these negative images within Black communities, affecting self-perception and perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage. Often, Hollywood’s portrayal of the Black men is as expendable because they are usually the first ones maimed or murdered. As Black TV dads, the images range from the questionable antics of George Jefferson to Dr. Cliff Huxtable. Sadly, the personal indiscretions of Bill Cosby have tarnished the image of this once successful and celebrated Black TV dad. And, I have yet to forgive “them” (CBS, specifically, and Hollywood in general) for killing off James Evans in Good Times. 

The Consequences of the Stereotype

The absentee Black father stereotype has real-world implications extending beyond the individual and family unit. It serves to justify the following:

• Racial profiling has contributed to police violence and the killing of Black men and women;

• Discriminatory practices are evident in the job market and contribute to higher employment rates. Discriminatory practices also create racial disparities in homeownership and education achievement and attainment. By perpetuating this stereotype, society implicitly argues that Black people, in general, and Black men specifically, are less deserving of the rights and protections afforded to others, thereby reinforcing systemic inequality.

Conclusion: It’s a Family Affair

The re-entry of Coach Sanders as the coach of a Power 5 conference athletic program has captured significant media attention. Undoubtedly, the focus is on whether he can succeed at this level in turning around an athletic program (as football goes, so goes the athletic program) and a team to its 1990s championship status.   

Despite this football hype, I am caught up in the Black family affair narrative. He has two of his sons playing for him, and his daughter, Shelomi Sanders, has transferred as a walk-on for the women’s basketball team. I hope these stories are not silenced amidst the football hoorah. Although he has had a public life and demonstrated Black fathering in TV reality shows like Deion and Pilar Sanders: Prime Time Love or Deion’s Family Playbook, this stage is affording him an additional opportunity to deconstruct the myth of the absentee Black father and present a reality, a counternarrative that many Black fathers are living out on different stages.

Deion Sanders and Our Messiah Fixation

 

The plague and persistence of oppression within Black communities have made it convenient and consistent for us to perceive the need for salvation and a savior, thus, a preoccupation on a messiah. Throughout our sojourn on this continent, we have witnessed the rise and fall of many. Some have been self-appointed and some community anointed, but all serving our fixation and a few fighting for our liberation. Through educational, religious, judicial, or political institutions, the goals have been deliverance from the progenies of white supremacy into the promised land of peaceful coexistence. For example, during slavery, Nat Turner’s slave revolt cast him as a revolutionary messiah who took up the yoke of Christ to fight against the serpent. Another form of salvation came from the emancipation proclamation (Proclamation 95), a presidential proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln (savior) that freed all enslaved people. Another example of salvation came from the savior Marcus Garvey for many, and his plan of salvation was Black nationalism, economic independence, and a return to the Motherland. What about our intellectual savior, W.E.B DuBois, and his gospel of the Talented Tenth? Or maybe, our pragmatic savior in Booker T. Washington and his messianic messages of self-help, hard work, and accumulation of material wealth. Or, it was seen in the savior, Reverend Dr. Martin L. King, and the legal activism of the Civil Rights Movement and an appeal to the oppressors’ morality as our salvation. Another example can be seen with savior Minister Malcolm X and Islam being our salvation. A final example is former President Barack Obama, who symbolically empowered and mesmerized many with his messianic message of hope. This list is abbreviated, but my point should be evident, and that is we (the Black community collective) have had our share of messiah-types, thus, rendering many within our communities to continue on the journey in search of a messiah to deliver us from the oppressive regime of white supremacy. 

 

Now we have the revolutionary athletic personality and icon, Coach Deion Sanders. His entry into college football began as Jackson State University’s (JSU) head football coach. Given the context and current configuration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), his presence, although on a smaller scale relative to the aforementioned messianic leaders, was just as significant. His iconic and charismatic personality created an atmosphere of restoration and hope. The attention he garnered for JSU and HBCUs collectively, and specifically, the city of Jackson during a water contamination crisis was tactical in providing small-scale social change, where many people took notice, and some responded positively. Thus, his social capital and persona were a momentary saving grace to dire conditions that often erupt in neglected communities and Black institutions suffering from political deprivation.

 

Though he does not have the pedigree of an HBCU, he is a product of a Black community, which makes him eligible with some credentials to function in this space. More importantly, he had a word from God that ordained his presence at JSU. This ordination carries a lot of weight in a community that values God’s word and the sanctity of the ones sent by Him. Couple this charge from the Almighty with two years of unprecedented success (i.e., two consecutive SWAC championships), I believe, placed Sanders in an exalted position. With this position comes enormous pressure to deliver and bring deliverance. It harnesses tremendous praise and adoration when successful, but woe be unto him who does not deliver and fails to bring deliverance; or decides to alter the plan of God for personal gain. Clearly, I am strictly speaking from the religious fervor surrounding those with a messiah complex and those who have a fixation on needing a messiah.

 

Did Coach Sanders hear from God? He could have. But which God? Could God have given him a new assignment – to go to Colorado? Sure. I would never put myself in a position to judge whether a person is divinely orchestrated to fulfill a specific task unless it is a total contradiction to the nature of love and life. Therefore, I have no problem with Coach Sander's “new” assignment leading the University of Colorado Buffaloes. It reaffirms for me how our messiah fixation causes many to harbor anger, display disappointment, and vent hostile criticism and a human being making a human decision. It exposes our misplaced fears and displaced faith. So, release Primetime from your negative criticism and let him expand his coaching brand and experience. Perhaps he will be better able to deliver and bring deliverance to some without having to deal with misgivings and displaced frustrations. Regardless, let us continue to be critical of self-appointed messianic figures at all levels. Let us be critical when our collective desires within Black communities or others external to our communities (white nationalist ideological state apparatuses, e.g., media, education, education) create these figures to distract us from genuinely developing the revolutionary consciousness necessary for our evolution and the evolution of our institutions. Also, let us either realize that charismatic leaders/savior types come and go or let us face the fact that the true saviors are ourselves. Our collective consciousness should be clear that we are the messiahs we have been looking for, hoping in, and praying to for our deliverance.