The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dad posts joyful photos of Black fathers to shatter stereotypes
Sean Williams has made it his mission to shatter stereotypes about Black fathers as absentees.
Last June, Williams, a 37-year-old father of three, organized a “Strollin’ with the Homies” event in New York City, where more than 100 dads came together with their kids for a group walk, and he created an initiative called The Dad Gang.
He posted photos of him and his kids, now ages 15, 4 and 3, on social media. Then he started posting photos of other Black fathers he knew.
“It started as an Instagram page, with the goal of focusing exclusively on positive stories, images and videos of active Black dads,” said Williams. “I wanted to showcase the reality of Black fatherhood and rewrite the narrative.”
When he and some friends called out to Black fathers to share their stories, submissions started overflowing.
The account, which now has more than 86,000 followers, features dads doing it all: from braiding hair to dancing, teaching to cooking,
Over the last year, The Dad Gang grew from merely a digital platform to a sprawling community of fathers across the country.
“The purpose of the stroll was to visually demonstrate the strength of Black fatherhood. I don’t think anyone has seen Black dads congregate and connect on such a large scale like that,” said Williams. “It became a real movement after that.”
It was then that Williams decided The Dad Gang needed to transcend social media. He began organizing regular in-person events, including father-child karaoke, brunches, workshops and community playdates. He also facilitated a discussion panel at Google, both in New York and Washington, D.C.
Edward Smith, 34, helps to facilitate the events and organize their efforts.
Smith’s own father wasn’t around when he grew up, and though he isn’t yet a father himself, “I wanted to help change the narrative,” he said.
“When you Google ‘dad’ you rarely see Black dads,” said Smith. “There is such a limited, one-dimensional representation of Black fathers.”
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the majority of Black fathers do, in fact, live with their children.
“For too many years, it’s been projected that all Black fathers are not in their children’s lives,” said Kevin Riley, 32, a father of two children, ages 5 and 16 months, who has also been actively involved with the initiative since the beginning. “The Dad Gang has become more than a platform; it’s a support group.”
Amid the recent reckoning of race in America, spurred by the death of George Floyd, Williams said the need for The Dad Gang has grown exponentially.
“Now more than ever, we need to fight against injustice and social inequality, and bring Black fathers together,” said Williams. “I feel this is my purpose.”
Williams’ ultimate plan is to take The Dad Gang across the country — and possibly even the globe — by adding local chapters where Black fathers can go for support and community.
“It’s an ambitious mission to say we’re going to change the way the world sees Black fathers,” said Williams. “But we’re going to try.”