The NC State Department of Social Work, along with the Collegiate 100 and Men in Social Work student organizations hosted “Let’s Talk Fathers” on Tuesday, an event about the impact of growing up without a father and, in particular, its influence on African-American men in society.
The event showed the documentary “Spit’in Anger,” which highlights the impact of a fatherless void on African-American men and explains the trouble with anger and forgiveness caused by the lack of their fathers growing up.
These concepts were further discussed by Jeffrey Shears, a professor at UNC-Greensboro and NC A&T following the documentary.
“The impact of fathers is generational — men learn by modeling,” Shears said.
Kenneth Braswell, the main speaker in the film, talked about his own anger and difficulty forgiving his father for not being a part of his life. However, he hoped to serve as an example of life for many men who grew up without their fathers.
After much difficulty, Braswell wrote a letter to his father and was able to forgive him because of the film and the experience it had on him.
“It shows the documentary’s potential influence on many African-American men, and it’s encouraging them to create a positive idea of fatherhood,” Shears said. “It provides an opportunity to further deepen an understanding for young men through a social work perspective.”
The documentary focused on the relationship between irrational anger in many African- American men and growing up without their fathers. Anger at small and big aspects of life can all be linked back to serious anger with their fathers, according to Braswell.
Trouble with forgiveness is another aspect that the documentary highlighted because most men never get answers or can’t understand the reasons their fathers did not take an active participation in their life, said Braswell.
Emmanuel Braswell, nephew of Ken Braswell and a football player at Davie High School in Mocksville, North Carolina spoke about his own struggles dealing with anger at his father.
“When I have the football, I picture it as my mom and my dad is the whole defense,” he said.
Terrie Williams, author of “Black Pain,” a novel that expresses the difficulties African-Americans face in America, explained in the film the reasoning behind this anger for what appears to be “no reason.” She described it as men trying to “do anything not to feel the pain.”
The seemingly irrational anger causes kids to act out, partaking in drugs, alcohol and sexual activity, because they are frustrated and have no father they can talk to about it, according to Williams.
“Fathers aren’t creating anything new, they are going to do what their fathers did,” Shears said.
The fathers’ roles and relationships between men and their fathers will remain negative until they can make it positive, according to Shears.
The topic and documentary are important because they offer a different perspective and understanding for those involved in social work and start a “dialogue and a conversation,” Shears said.
Originally, the Department of Social Work wanted this event to be a part of Black History Month, but due to a scheduling conflict, it could only be Tuesday.
Shears and other participants in the making of “Spit’in Anger” have plans to make a similar film that will focus the impact of fatherlessness on women. It is expected to be released in fall 2015.
