Dads aren’t optional — and America’s kids are paying the brutal price

Nearly 1 in 4 children now lives without a father, and the trend is worsening across all demographics

There is a lie that has been spreading throughout this country for the last several decades like poison: “You don’t need a father.” This lie shows up in our music, our politics, our policies and sometimes even in our churches. The lie pretends to be compassionate, inclusive and modern by passing no judgment. But if you walk the streets that I walk, if you sit with the children that I sit with, you will see the wreckage that this lie leaves behind.

When we lose fathers, we lose the core family structure. When we lose fathers, we lose the protection that the family and the neighborhood need. When we lose fathers, we lose morals, direction and discipline. When we lose fathers, we leave gaping holes in children that they will struggle to fill. When we lose fathers, we lose a generation.

Most people think that when we talk about fatherlessness, we’re talking about Black America. Yes, our community carries a heavy burden here, and tragically so. In 2023, 49% of Black children lived with one parent and 47.5% lived without a father in the home. In the poorer demographics, the numbers are worse. But if we stop here, we ignore the bigger picture.

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