We respect the potential of the New Year to motivate people to rethink their conduct and resolve to improve it. So we applaud the timing of 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis in hosting a symposium entitled “The Power of a Man’s Spirit” on Saturday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to noon at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Ave. The event is free and open to the public. We strongly encourage the public to attend this community forum geared around self-empowerment with a special focus on the latent power of black men.
Several powerful and respected black men in our local clergy have agreed to speak to this important theme at this event on Saturday. The scheduled panelists are Pastor Michael Jones of Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, the Rev. Dr. Freddy J. Clark of Shalom Church (City of Peace), the Rev. Rodney Francis of Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Aeneas Williams of The Spirit Church. The symposium will be moderated by the Rev. Starsky Wilson of St. John’s United Church of Christ. We have the highest regard for these men and their power to influence our community, including our men, for the better. The American will report in depth on what they have to say online and in next week’s paper, for those unable to attend. We join these clergy leaders in advance in praying for hospitable weather so the largest possible audience will attend.
The goal of this symposium, according to its organizers, is to begin the New Year by providing information to help men of all ages “acknowledge and connect with their spiritual strength.” Our community needs men in touch with their own most powerful positive resources so that they can connect with their family and community. “We hope males become better educated about the importance of having a spirit that encourages and empowers them to lead their families and communities, rather than remaining disengaged and feeling hopelessness,” organizers announced. “A call to action for participants may include reclaiming their rightful place in the family, church and community as dictated by history, scripture, quotes and philosophy.”
This “rightful place” is also dictated by new research documented in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new National Health Statistics report. In a study of father involvement in the United States from 2006–2010, CDC researchers found that black fathers living with their children were more directly involved in caring for their children than fathers from any other demographic who live with their children. Among fathers who live with their children, “black fathers (70 percent) were most likely to have bathed, dressed, diapered or helped their children use the toilet every day compared with white (60 percent) and Hispanic fathers (45 percent),” stated study leaders Jo Jones and William D. Mosher of the center’s Division of Vital Statistics. This impressive degree of attentiveness by black fathers who live with their children continued as children advanced beyond toilet training to academic education. “A larger percentage of black fathers (41 percent) had helped their coresidential children with homework every day in the last four weeks compared with Hispanic (29 percent) or white (28 percent) fathers” who live with their children, they reported.
So the power of a black man’s spirit is not just an unsupported article of faith among our clergy leaders. It is a point of fact, according to the latest research data. Importantly, it debunks the stereotype about detachment and irresponsible parenting among all black men.When our men connect, they connect deeply and give so much of themselves. Our children, families and community need our men to stay connected precisely because their love is so very powerful.
Those interested in attending “The Power of a Man’s Spirit” are encouraged to register online at www.100blackmenstl.com/powerofaman.com. For more information, contact the 100 Black Men of St. Louis at 314-367-7778.
