You’ve seen pictures of him walking the beach in Hawaii holding his daughters’ hands. You’ve seen pictures of him going in for a parent-teacher conference. To the world, he’s Mr. President, but for Sasha and Malia, Barack Obama is simply Daddy.

The priority the nation’s 44th president has placed on fatherhood is showing the world a real black father, an image that too often has been over looked by spotlights, observers say.

Sunday, the president will have the featured spot on CBS' "Sunday Morning" in a segment entitled "Barack Obama: An American Dad."

“He’s making it cool again to be a good dad,” said Ken King, a Birmingham, Alabama community organizer who is helping to plan events this weekend for fathers and their daughters.

“For years, it seemed like the men who didn’t take care of their children or help raise them were getting all of the attention,” King told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “With the Obamas, you really see black family love.”

King is the father of a 10-year-old son with whom he shares custody with his former wife.

In his speech on Father’s Day last year at a Chicago church, then-Sen. Barack Obama challenged black fathers to step up to the plate and take on more responsibility in the lives of their children. His daughters, and wife, Michelle Obama were present with him at the worship service.

“If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it,” Obama said at the Apostolic Church of God.

“You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled – doubled – since we were children. We know the statistics – that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.”

The Rev. Kevin Barnes Sr., pastor of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland, California, wrote about some of the very principles President Obama has talked about in his challenge to fathers.

“The number one thing is first knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. The second thing is, you have to be there,” said Barnes, author of "Successfully Raising Young Black Men."

“Sometimes you want to run away.  I’ve been there. But you have stay in that child’s life,” Barnes said. He and his wife, Brenda Sue Barnes have been married 30 years, and they all have important roles in the ministry at Abyssinian, he said.

Frederick Goodall, known online through his Web site, MochaDad.com, said while television programs like "The Cosby Show" have presented images of successful and positive black fathers, Obama is a real example.

Lamar Tyler, who has a blog with his wife entitled Black and Married with Kids, agrees.

“People looked up to the Huxtables, but they were fictitious,” Tyler told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “The example presented by President Obama opens the door for other black fathers. “People smile and congratulate you when they see you taking your kids to the park and lovin’ 'em up."

But Goodall said there still is much work to be done in educating fathers on their role in parenting and encouraging them to be there.

“I am not sure that the Obama example is enough to motivate some black men, but it does show that it can be done,” Goodall told BlackAmericaWeb.com. He and his .....

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If fatherless child seem to turn out so bad, maybe the system needs to award custody to the men 95% of the time instead to the mother. And let society see who need to step up then.

by   
Newboot1971
June 19, 2009, 10:20 am
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It also seems that NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE, wants to address the jacked up family court system that make it difficult if not impossible for men to be better parents. "Stepping up is more than making monthly payment", but that is how the system defines stepping up. I man could just as well provide for his children by going to the store and buying whatever the child is in need of, but that don't seem to be acceptable. Love and the necessities are all children need. That can be provided without COURT INTERVENTION. Fix the system, then I will agree with all this "step up" propaganda.

by   
Newboot1971
June 19, 2009, 10:00 am
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Enough already! Everyone knows there are men that have abandoned their responsibilities and that children are hurt because of it. But when will anyone address the mothers? Do bad mothers exist? Because NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO ADDRESS MOMS' contributions to this entire mess.

by   
Newboot1971
June 19, 2009, 9:54 am
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I know everbody Black is seemingly REQUIRED to love Obama, but excuse me but I dont need him or any other man to "show" me how to be a good dad. Ive always been a good Dad and always will be. One reason is because I teach my children to love and hoonor God and not some man.

by   
Zstroud1967
June 19, 2009, 9:11 am
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Big Ups to my Daddy, Daddy Barack and all of the Dads who are taking the responsibility of being a parent! Happy Father's Day.

by   
Barackie
June 19, 2009, 7:16 am
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if black men be more involved in their kids lives, maybe half of the typical stereotypes that kids face might be reduced.single mothers bare majority of the responisbilty to provide clothing,rent,food etc but black men needs to step up their a-game too.stop complaining bout child support because the mother will make her money on her own.the kids are hurt in the process when you are not involved in their lives and it really discourages them.black men should do more for kids so kids can look up to them instead a rapper,a drugdealer, or a singer.

by   
Quita32
June 19, 2009, 5:49 am
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