Dads urged to take kids to school, pledge nonviolence
With all the lessons to be taught in Philadelphia's public schools this year, David Fattah hopes that one will be learned at home: parental responsibility.
With all the lessons to be taught in Philadelphia's public schools this year, David Fattah hopes that one will be learned at home: parental responsibility.
Fattah is the local guiding force of the nationwide Million Father March, which consists of fathers taking their children to school, participating in home and school events, and signing a pledge of nonviolence.
Fattah wrote the pledge in 1972, after a series of meetings and summits to find ways to end gang wars that were engulfing inner-city neighborhoods.
The event begins locally with a kickoff rally 7 p.m. Sunday at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 5732 Race St., West Philadelphia. Parents and schoolchildren are invited to participate and get more info about Tuesday's back-to-school effort.
"This is an opportunity for people to move in a positive direction," said Fattah, coordinator of the Philly-based effort and co-founder of youth-advocacy group House of Umoja. "We are asking for three P's this school year: to be present, to perform and to be polite."
But this effort goes beyond the simplicity of those requests. Founded five years ago by the Chicago-based grassroots organization Black Star Project, the national Million Father March also calls on year-round participation of fathers in their young kids' academic lives.
Fattah stressed the importance of his group's effort, especially in light of the negative public-education statistics among minority communities.
"We've found that when attendance is up on the first day, violence is down," Fattah said. "For this one day, if we do it right, the dropout rate will decrease."
Organizers will meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at the House of Umoja offices, 5625 Master St., to plan and to inspire volunteers and participants.
Fathers are encouraged to wear ribbons and badges when they bring their children to school to announce their participation in this year's march. Those interested can visit www.HouseofUmoja.org or call 215-473-5893.
"We're talking about millions of men taking their children to school, all across America," Fattah said. "We'd really like to see that trend continue, and have more fathers involved throughout the school year."
