40 Days Away from Father’s Day 2022

We are less than 40 days away from Father’s Day 2022, which will be our 33rd year in the fight to have Black fathers be seen for their positive engagement and service. We fight against the constant negative stereotypes with which we and our community are bombarded. This year Father’s Day is June 19th and while we’ll align with Juneteenth messages, including Reparations, please join us in seeing that positive fatherhood engagement, cooking,  attending or even positive male engagement you see or have been exposed to is at the forefront of the day.  In fact, we are taking ten days (June 10-20th) from our base at the Quarry and in social media to celebrate such.

1) Our Real Men Cook messages continue to be about family and community health. initiatives we added thanks to Dr Terry Mason and Eric Whittaker 20 years ago, and before that, with Dr. Carl Bell 30 years ago when we partnered for 15 years with the Community Mental Health Council.

Let us not forget that tomorrow is not promised, and take a moment to reflect on the fact that male life expectancy in Chicago is shorter than in any other group. The stress of being Black and male has a direct correlation to this fact. Our children and women are being robbed of grandfathers, male elders, and the financial stability of retirement income, impacting the ability to build financial stability in the later years of those they leave behind.

2) The mayor and Chicago Dept of Public Health (CDPH) is working with various Health Empowerment Zones to begin post COViD healing and overall health that took away a disproportionate number of Black men. Father’s Day is a great time to shift to the male and family health narrative.

3) Speaking of healthy Black men, mental, financial, physical, and political, last month we celebrated what would have been the centennial year of our first Black mayor, the late Mayor Harold Washington. We encourage you and our children to read and share his unheralded legacy. To make it easy our April cover story is on Mayor Washington. Your copy can be picked up here at Friday Live at the Quarry (6-9 pm) or access two articles online at https://southsidedrivemag.com/publishers-message-april-2022-issue/

• Come out to Friday Live at the Quarry TOMORROW to celebrate southside collaborative health efforts, and Dr Carol Adams’ leadership with South Shore Works, as well as being one of “the original real women” who helped launch Real Men Cook. Doors open at 6 at 2423 East 75th Street.
• Send young brothers to connect now to prepare to serve on Father’s Day. Training is Saturday at the Quarry. Contact raeljackson@gmail.com
• Get tickets or make a contribution to support $RealMenCharities or donate at www.RealMenCharitiesInc.org/donate
• Plan to join us on Father’s Day at the Quarry
• Support young fathers with a block of tickets for a family of 4 $100. Use the above donate link
• Send or be or be a part of the serving team for your business, church, or community work. Contact  raeljackson@gmail.com or text Rael Jackson at 312- 965-5405, to share how you will lend support