Greetings:

June is the month that we honor fathers everywhere on that special day we know as Father’s Day. The idea of setting aside a day to honor fathers originated in 1910 when Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father raised her and her five siblings after the death of their mother, was listening to a sermon about Mother’s Day. That Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, which was her father’s birthday. 

Real Men Cook has been celebrating Father’s Day for thirty-five years, when men come out and do the barbecuing. Devorah Crable joined us in this endeavor at its beginnings, bringing with her Darryl Denard. In case you aren’t familiar with Mr. Denard, you’ll get to meet him in the enlightening article which kicks off the celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Real Men Cook.

In fact, our entire issue is dedicated to honoring fathers and men. Many of you know Toussaint Werner, who partners with Herb Howard on the “Tou and Herb” podcast. Toussaint gives us an in depth look at the life lessons he experienced as the son of famed photographer, Eric Werner, and how those lessons impacted the way in which he’s raising his own son.

Another famous father is Charles Stepney, the man who composed the music behind some of our greatest entertainers of the 70s and 80s. We all knew Earth, Wind and Fire; Ramsey Lewis, Minnie Riperton and countless others. And if we didn’t know the artists, we certainly knew their songs, such as “Reasons,” and “Imagination,” and hundreds of other hits of that era. However, many don’t know Charles Stepney, who was a product of Chicago’s South Side. His three daughters tell us about him and his music legacy in this Father’s Day issue.

Another father is Brian Kelly, the father of five-year-old and twenty-five-year-old daughters. But this article is not about Brian Kelly, the father. Ebony Ellis, a young up and coming writer penned an article for our readers about Brian Kelly, as Principal of King College Preparatory High School, whose work with the students and faculty of that school earned him the coveted Golden Apple Excellence in Leadership Award.

This month we said goodbye to two contributors to the cultural landscape of our city. The memorial for Jun Mhoon, music and television producer who co-created the Steller Awards, and co-produced Stepping at Club Seven, and was also the founder of I Am Records and I Am Digital Media, took place this month. A few weeks before that we said goodbye to beloved Val Gray Ward, amazingly talented actress and founder of Kuumba Theater Workshop.

This year’s annual Real Men Cook celebration will be extra special because we’re celebrating 35 years of this wonderful tradition. Please come out and bring your best barbecue recipe family, or just bring your appetite. We’re looking forward to a great time!