“I am fairly no longer impressed by Black excellence. And the reason why I am no longer impressed is because I see so much of it around me. I read about it in books, articles. I hear it in podcasts. I binge it on streaming services. I scroll through it on social media. I’m introduced to it over and over again as I meet Black fathers, as I meet mothers, as I meet youth, as I meet couples who are out in these streets, doing their thing. And I wake up and trip over Black excellence. I have to push it aside to get to my car in the morning. I have to weave on the road and make room for it while it’s going down the express lane because we are doctors; we’re builders; we’re philosophers; we’re scientists, artists, teachers, mentors, mental health professionals. We are leaders. But we are also parents who raise the next generation of children. We’re grandparents that are beacons of wisdom. We’re partners who are sources of intimacy and support. We are youth representing a collective future for our communities as we all navigate institutions to achieve our goals. Our greatness has been evident, has always been evident in my view and has not been something to be questioned or denied. Whether we are talking about the advancement of Black communities during the Reconstruction era, the bastion of excellence represented in an entire city we called Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Black folks of today that are making strides in entrepreneurship and education, the undeniable greatness of Black communities is not on trial here. But what has been on trial is the degree to which that greatness has been recognized, respected, celebrated, and honored by those who make decisions that impact our communities.”
Dr. Bright Sarfo, Project Director for OPRE’s “Race Equity for Fatherhood, Relationship, and Marriage Programs” (REFRAME) project opened the Reducing Barriers, Increasing Access: The Power of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in HMRF Programs session at the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) grantee conference in August of 2022 with these remarks. In his remarks, Dr. Sarfo highlighted how the REFRAME project seeks to reshape historical deficits-focused narratives that have failed to fully acknowledge and celebrate the strengths, wisdom, and beauty of Black families and communities, and to focus on approaches that honor and leverage the unique strengths, contexts, and experiences that the clients bring to HMRF programs today.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to take a moment to think deeply about how history continues to shape experiences of families today. It is important to remember the undeniable challenges and adversities that have revealed tremendous resilience among Black families and communities. However, we must simultaneously remember that Black history is also full of beauty, wisdom, joy, and unique stories that are just as important to acknowledge and celebrate.
To fully understand the experiences and contexts of Black families today and design effective programs, we must recognize how the effects of historic injustices of slavery, segregation, and oppression persist and interact with modern policies and systems. For example, family separation during slavery, unequal housing policies, and mass incarceration contribute to unequal wealth accumulation spanning generations, and that has lasting effects for Black couples, families, and youth who seek ACF services. Moreover, these historical experiences have also led to specific and unique resiliencies, such as strong extended family relationships, and wisdom among families and communities that should be recognized, elevated, and leveraged.
In addition, we also must recognize that, for too long, Black history has been told by White voices. Due to this unbalanced power dynamic, some of the underlying assumptions on which many programs are based perpetuate deficits narratives, and supports may be reliant on White, Eurocentric norms and experiences that are not relevant or accurate for Black communities. Since Black voices have also historically been underrepresented in research and program development, human services are not always delivered in a way that fully captures the breadth and depth of experiences of Black families, or that appropriately addresses their circumstances.
At ACF, we are working to center the voices of Black communities in the hopes that doing so allows communities to tell their own stories and celebrate their diverse experiences, as well as develop programming and practices that are more relevant and equitable. The REFRAME project is designed to take an intentional, strengths-based approach to support HMRF programs in their efforts to serve Black families. The project aims to produce concrete, tangible resources that program operators and staff can use to incorporate culturally responsive and equitable approaches into their services. It simultaneously acknowledges how historic harms and the context of modern structural inequities affect Black families today while applauding resilience and strength in the face of those challenges and barriers. Further, by celebrating the unique richness, diversity, wisdom, and beauty of Black cultures and communities, the project hopes to equip HMRF practitioners with resources that they can build on in their work to uplift and support Black families who seek their services. The project team is doing this through authentic conversations with members of Black community groups and program participants with lived expertise, practitioners and leaders from organizations who serve Black communities, and others with learned expertise on Black family culture and context. Ultimately, we hope this project empowers programs to “reframe” HMRF service delivery to a more tailored client-centered, strengths-based approach, which illuminates a more accurate depiction of Black love, Black fathers, Black families, and a future full of hope for Black youth.
During Black History month, we ask you to you join us in uplifting Black voices to craft and pass on their own histories. We also invite you to intentionally recognize the full spectrum of the diversity in Black experience, including not only the harms and their effects but also the resilience, wisdom, hope, and joy. From slavery until today, Black communities have spread messages of hope for the future, hope for a truer, more equitable society, and hope for individuals, families, children, and couples — including those served by HMRF programs. As the songs dating back to the civil rights era say so beautifully….
“Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.” — Lift Every Voice and Sing
“Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome, some day.” — We Shall Overcome