Fathers are on the march ... to school

"I don't know about you, but I am inspired this morning," Amistad director Matthew Taylor shouts out. "When you see these fathers, it brings so much more power to the circle, and that power, of course, is love." He talks about the need for boys to have models for how to become men, and for girls to see good examples of the qualities they should be looking for in future partners.

"You've got us crying over here," a teacher calls out as she dabs away tears. Later, Mr. Taylor gets word that some students were crying, too, disappointed that their own fathers weren't there for the occasion.

The pride is palpable after the assembly, as the men stop off to meet homeroom teachers and then head back to the front room for some time with a handful of staff. "It's good to see everybody together," says one grandfather to the group; usually when he attends recitals and events, he sees only one or two fathers.

Malik Ramiz, an African-American computer tech teacher, talks about how the male voice signals a certain kind of authority to kids. "It shakes them up." He ends his comments with the message he hopes will resonate long after this day: "You're welcome here. We want to see you here." Follow-up events will include a Thursday "men's night out" at the school, with the gym open for activities with men and their children.

"I wish every school would do this," Mr. Rosario says. "It would help every single family walk forward together for our children.... Any time they do it, I will be here." Before he leaves, he pulls aside school director Taylor and gives him his phone number, explaining that he and Jacob's mother aren't together, but that he wants to know when anything is going on with Jacob at school, be it good news or bad.

Amistad's turnout was stronger than that of most other participating Connecticut schools because the others didn't do as much outreach, says Rory Edwards, who spread the word about the Million Father March as chairman of the state NAACP's education committee.

When he was a dean at Amistad, Mr. Edwards would suggest contacting the father if two or three meetings with a student's mother didn't yield results. "The mothers would sometimes say, 'He's not in our life.'... Well, the school can be a safe environment for those fathers to get involved."

Mr. Jackson hopes the Million Father March will grow year by year, and he sees it as a high-stakes endeavor. More black men are in prison than in college, he says, and the fork in the road comes at an early age. "This is probably the most critical march in the history of the African-American community, in terms of whether or not it is going to survive another 40 to 50 years. [It must] find a way to embrace the education of its children and rebuild its broken villages."

The Black Star Project recently began a yearlong effort to promote involvement of minority men in the education of their children. Here are some of the group's recommendations for the school year:

November

• Pick up your child's report card.

December

• Attend an assembly at your child's school.

• Attend your child's choral, drama, or awards presentation.

January

• Escort your child back to school.

• Visit a library, bookstore, or computer lab with your child.

February

• Read aloud to children in grades K-3 at your child's school.

• Attend a black history or cultural event with your child.

March

• Attend church or faith-based institution with your child.

• Go on a school field trip with your child's class.

• Take a trip to the zoo, museum, botanical conservatory, aquarium, or park with your child.

April

• Take a day or weekend trip or make dinner with your child.

• Play a sport or exercise with your child.

• Teach your child about health, fitness, and nutrition.

May

• Teach your child about entrepreneurship and business professionalism.

• Take your child to work.

June

• Meet your child at the school door on the last day of school.

• Thank your child's teacher, principal, janitor, security guard, lunchroom workers, and other staff for helping to educate your child.

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