Safe Spaces for Vulnerability: New Perspectives on African Americans Who Struggle To Be Good Fathers

Abstract

The past few decades have involved much debate about constructive rather than punitive intervention on the behalf of black males. Alongside employment, education, physical and mental health and well-being, fatherhood and family remained one of several areas of crucial focus for black males. In order to advance the conversation about African American fathers and family involvement, I suggest that scholars, social service providers, policy makers, and others who critically engage this topic must attend to two concepts that highlight under-treated dimensions of African American male social conduct, especially as it relates to their functioning as fathers. These are vulnerability and safe space. What follows is a brief explication of the meaning of each term as each pertains to the case of African American fathers and why and how the terms deserve more attention and more thorough incorporation into the discourse on improving the prospects for African American fatherhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)