By Rashad Miller
The Dear Fathers organization hosted its annual pregame panel at the American Airlines Center, sponsored by Anthem Strong Families. The Christmas-themed event focused on providing fathers with valuable knowledge and support to enhance their roles as parents and community members. The panel featured several distinguished individuals: Nico Harrison, the General Manager of the Mavericks; Kalvin Bridgewater, the Founder of Daddy Stroller Social Club; Lubbock D. Smith III, the Senior Vice President and Director of Vista Bank; and Charles Dillon, the Director of Programs for Anthem Strong Families. The discussion centered around the crucial topics of mental health and leaving a lasting legacy.
Marketing executive Dessie Brown Jr., who moderated the panel, expressed his honor in returning to the role for a second year. He shared his personal experiences as a father and son, emphasizing the importance of carrying on his father’s legacy. “I’m a dad and I was raised by an amazing father as well. As I said during the panel, my dad passed four years ago and I’m a junior. I have the same name. So, it’s very important that I build up his legacy and keep his legacy going for my kids and my kids’ kids’ kids and on and on.”
Lubbock D. Smith, III spoke to his approach to fatherhood in a different light.
I talk to my daughter every day, not like a child, but a person with feelings and perspective of the world. And now that I have a son, I want to prepare him with everything that I know, but also allow him to be his own man …not having to feel like he needs to follow in my footsteps.
Sean Reed, the Mavericks’ Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, highlighted the event’s importance as an opportunity for Black men to connect and develop as fathers. He emphasized the organization’s dedication to supporting initiatives like Dear Fathers, stating, “We look forward to continuing to partner with Dear Fathers. Their mission is amazing. Helping fathers just come together and become better fathers. I think that it has a lot of opportunities to grow. I’m looking forward to that growth and being a part of that growth.”
Reed also acknowledged the challenges faced by those without father figures or with fathers who lack the necessary knowledge, saying, “There are many communities and people who may not have father figures or father figures that may not be equipped with the information that they need to be the best fathers they are. So, programs like this really help those young dads and those more tenured dads to help them with information. So glad and happy to be a part of it”.
Jesse Alex, co-founder of Dear Fathers, expressed his enthusiasm about the event’s turnout, stating that it was “good to see a lot of men coming together for an impactful conversation.” He and co-founder Lamar Johnson Jr. have built Dear Fathers into a platform that provides resources, a podcast, and a supportive community for Black fathers, empowering them to share their experiences and shape their own narratives. Jesse also spoke to Dear Fathers’ newest initiative, Dads To Doulas. Dads to Doulas is dedicated to empowering Black men and expectant fathers with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for their families from pregnancy to infancy. Through doula-level education, they aim to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates.
Dear Fathers understands the significant influence this can have on our community and is dedicated to empowering families from the outset. Their unique doula program is specifically designed to assist, uplift, support, relieve stress, sustain, and educate Black men and fathers in both Maternal and Paternal care.
Dear Fathers has also collaborated with the WNBA’s Dallas Wings to host a daddy-daughter night, and their influence extends beyond Dallas. They have partnered with teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and St. Louis Cardinals to organize events in multiple cities. The next Dear Fathers panel will be held at Capital One Center in Washington, D.C. on April 9, 2025. For further information and resources, please visit their website at dearfathers.com.