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.
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