Father’s Day is the most important day of the month of June. Greeting cards fill store shelves. Restaurant reservations are being made. And if you’re like many Chicagoans, you’re probably planning to attend the Annual Real Men Cook celebration every third Sunday, on Father’s Day. No matter how we celebrate, one thing is certain: our fathers deserve to be honored.
Of course, not every father figure is a biological father. Sometimes a stepfather, uncle, cousin, godfather, older brother, family friend, coach, teacher, pastor, or neighbor fills the role. We see the positive impact of strong male role models in the lives of countless men and women.
We see the fatherly influence in celebrated writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose father, Paul Coates, writer, publisher, community activist and, founder of the renown Black Classic Press, instilled in his son a deep understanding of Black history, culture, and identity. Those lessons helped shape one of the most influential literary voices of our time.
In Chicago’s Black community, the beloved funeral director, A. R. Leak, produced a son, Spencer Leak, Sr., whose love for his community has been shown in so many wonderful ways. For years, he was Chairman of the Board of Soft Sheen’s Black on Black Love Organization. He produced a son, Spencer Leak, Jr., who followed in his father’s footsteps and became the most beloved funeral director in Chicago. This month, thousands mourn the death of that beloved young man. Yet he didn’t leave us without producing a son, Spencer Leak III, known as Tre, to continue to work with his grandfather.
Otis Moss Sr., a World War I veteran and sharecropper, was violently denied his right to vote in 1946. Inspired by his father’s story, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. became an influential civil rights leader, and author who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, his son, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, is an activist, poet, author, producer/filmmaker, and internationally acclaimed pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ.
Here on Chicago’s South Side, we find two other remarkable examples of fathers whose legacies continue through their children. The late Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. and legendary jazz musician Ramsey Lewis lived next door to one another in the South Shore community. Together, they raised families whose members went on to become elected officials, media personalities, musicians, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
Today, that legacy continues. Rev. Jackson’s youngest son, Yusef DuBois Jackson leads the Rainbow /PUSH Coalition as CEO, and Ramsey Lewis’ youngest son, Reverend Bobby Lewis, is Chief of Staff for the Rainbow /PUSH Coalition. Their partnership is a reminder that the values fathers pass down often ripple across generations. It illustrates the truth that when a father invests in a child, he invests in the future of an entire community.
Reverend Stephen Thurston, Jr., and Reverend Marshall Hatch Jr. are also part of the new generation leadership at Rainbow/PUSH, carrying forward their father’s legacies.
Yet as Chicago grapples with troubling incidents involving youth violence and so- called “teen takeovers,” one question is repeatedly asked: “Where are the fathers?”
The answers are complex. Some point to social conditions. Others cite economic or legal challenges. But beneath it all lies a difficult reality: too many young people are growing up without the consistent guidance of a father or father figure.
To be fair, the village that supported many children in the 1960s and 1970s does not exist in the same way today. Two-parent households are less common in many communities, and extended family networks are often stretched thin. The result is a growing gap in mentorship, discipline, and support.
That is why Black men—our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, coaches, pastors, teachers, and mentors—must continue to step in and step up.
Organizations such as Real Men Charities, which brings us Real Men Cook each year, and youth mentoring and other programs throughout the year; The Black Star Project, Brilliance & Excellence, Champs Male Mentoring and I Am A Gentleman play an important role, but so do everyday men who volunteer their time, share their wisdom, and provide positive examples. Young people who lack fathers need access to caring adults who can offer guidance, encouragement, accountability, and opportunity.
In my sorority, we have a program called Adopt-A-DEAR. DEARs are Sorors age 62 and older. Younger members "adopt" a DEAR, creating relationships built on support, encouragement, and friendship. Over time, these bonds often grow into trusted, lifelong connections.
Perhaps there is a lesson there for our communities. Imagine if more structured mentoring relationships connected Black men with Black boys who need guidance and positive role models. Such efforts could create safe spaces, meaningful relationships, and opportunities for growth that many young people are desperately seeking.
Mothers are, of course, essential. But when we talk about the missing pieces in many young lives today, it is often the presence of engaged men that is most lacking. Reclaiming our children requires all of us, but it also requires fathers and father figures willing to answer the call.
As we celebrate Father’s Day, let us honor the men who have already stepped in and stepped up. Let us thank the fathers, grandfathers, mentors, coaches, pastors, and community leaders who understand that all children are, in some measure, our collective responsibility.
Their time, wisdom, compassion, and unconditional love are helping to shape the next generation. Their influence is making a difference where it is needed most.
And there is no better time than Father’s Day to say thank you.
