ABSTRACT
African American fatherhood is rarely discussed from the perspective of men anticipating fatherhood or the positive involvement of African American fathers in the parenting process. There are limited venues that allow for African American boys and men to discuss how their experiences of being fathered or not being fathered influenced their view of fatherhood and their desire to be fathers themselves. Although there is great diversity in fathering experiences, it is the absence of African American father that is most often discussed in the literature. Zinn and Eitzen (2005), for example, reported that 49% of African American children lived in a mother-headed household. Over the last several decades this trend has continued with increasing numbers of African American children residing only with their mother. Due to the social and economic realities of single-parent households, children from these households are reported to be at greater risk for academic, behavioral, and health problems (McLanahan & Booth, 1991; Spencer, 1990).
