ABSTRACT
The idea of guiding children dates back to traditional rites of passage. Men use rites of passage to communicate the purpose of manhood. In traditional rites of passage initiations, it takes 4 years to communicate the purpose. Therefore, to attempt to communicate the purpose of manhood in one chapter may be overly ambitious. Instead the chapter will focus on Black fathers and the importance of forming an agreed-upon purpose to ensure the survival and optimal functioning of the African American family. It is important to note that a purpose or lack thereof will be shared with Black boys either with or without the assistance of Black men. At times, Black men have influence over the development of Black boys. However, it is unclear that Black men communicate a shared purpose that ensures the survival of Black boys. The goal of this chapter is to expose the influence of institutions and social fathers on the development of purpose for Black boys and to propose a unified purpose for Black boys to assist them in their transition into fatherhood.
