Navigating Two Worlds: Understanding the Complexities and Health Implications of Black Fatherhood in Toronto

ABSTRACT

This article contends that individual and systemic racist notions against Black fathers contribute to Black fathers’ feelings of ineptitude, invisibility and dejection. This article challenges the racial trope that Black fatherhood mainly encompasses absenteeism, intimidating and abusive behavior. The article argues that Black fatherhood is uniquely complex due to Black fathers being burdened with the mental and physical health detriments as a result of navigating state sanctioned violence and systemically racist notions against both them and their children, while simultaneously trying to prevent their consequential stress and hypervigilance from being displaced onto their children. This paper also posits that not addressing these issues increases the risk of these fathers’ mental and physical health being compromised and impairs their ability to parent safely and adequately protect their children. This article serves to provide human service practitioners tangible examples of this social and public health issue from the field of child welfare in addition to practical ways to ameliorate the relationship between human service workers and Black fathers. I conclude with recommendations on how to address the health inequity experienced by Black fathers stemming from racial health and social injustices.

KEYWORDS:

• Black father
• state-sanctioned violence
• hypervigilance
• health
• racial trauma