Meet the Director of 
All Father's Matter Family Restoration Project "Pops"

     Let me share a page from my own story. Growing up as a Black boy in the inner city, I always felt like something was missing, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I was a confused young man, grappling with the absence of a strong, committed father figure in my life. Instead of guidance, I was surrounded by violence, neglect, poor communication, intimidation, abuse, and ultimately abandonment. I didn’t have a positive example of fatherhood or a consistent role model to help me navigate the challenges of life. As I grew into adulthood, I internalized more negative traits than positive ones. I became closed off—unwilling to listen, unwilling to accept help, and unwilling to embrace a different perspective. I locked myself away, thinking I was protecting myself from pain, but in reality, I isolated myself from who I truly was and from everyone around me.

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     The good news, however, is that we can learn from our past. It’s vital that we stop making excuses for what others did—or didn’t do. We must release the hold that past hurts have on us and stop allowing them to paralyze us. We have the power to change, to grow, and to be better. The truth is, we are the driving force in our children’s lives. They need and deserve a healthy, supportive environment, and they deserve fathers who are involved, committed, and present. Whatever challenges you’ve faced, they don’t diminish your responsibility as a father. Your children are yours, and they are counting on you.

As I reflect on my own journey, I realize that my story is changing. I’m no longer defined by my past. I am now in control of the narrative. What’s happened before doesn’t have to dictate what happens next. The story of my past can be the foundation of a brighter future.

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     I encourage you to take time today to write your own story. Confront the good, the bad, and the ugly. Acknowledge what happened to you, who was there and who wasn’t. Recognizing and understanding your story is the first step in rewriting it. Because you are the father—and you have the power to change the course of your life and your children's lives.

"Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better."
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.