Filmmaker Jordan Thierry kicks off Black History Month with an insightful perspective on the rising dilemma of fatherless Black families when
with February debut of his introspective documentary, "The Black Fatherhood Project."
Community leaders in the Bay Area will host the film's premiere Thursday, Jan. 31 at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, Calif., and a national premiere follows online on Feb.1 at BlackFatherhoodProject.com.
Overall, the project unravels the roots of Black absentee parenting through the telling of his own story, interviews with prominent historians, and dialogue among a diverse selection of dads. The discussions include personal experiences,inspirations, and insight on how communities can come together to ensure the power of a father's love is not lost on America's Black children.
"The film explores the issues that continue to plague the Black community," says Thierry. "It digs deep into history to identify how Black families functioned before slavery, how it and subsequent discrimination affected black fathers' involvement in their families, and its impact today."
Nationwide, 67 percent of black children live in single-parent families, predominantly with the mother. This factor alone increases the likelihood of living in poverty, low educational achievement, incarceration and abuse. This ratio has tripled since the 1960s, growing in correlation with drug crimes, prisons, and income inequality to create today's challenges for the Black family.
The online premiere begins at 9a.m., Eastern Time on Friday, and can be viewed at the film's website BlackFatherhoodProject.com
