Mr. Reynolds is a former First Lieutenant of the United States Army and the proud father of six children. His fathering approach is influenced by his experience growing up in a tight-knit family that looked out for one another. Mr. Reynolds believes that family is integral to the healthy development of children. Fatherhood to Mr. Reynolds is the most important role a man has.

"Us dads have to remain humble. Nobody fathers in a bubble. Remain open to learning, and be patient with your kids…”

In this episode, we explore the importance of healthy creation and how fathers could use their voice as a tool for healing while navigating difficulty. 

Our guest, Ms. Young, also known as Distinctly Unique is a choreo-poet, ghost writer, voice actor, performing artist, spoken word artist, story teller, private ESL instructor, and Creator/Manager of Dunique LLC. from East Chicago and Gary Indiana. She is a Creative Writing graduate from Purdue University, with minors in African-American Studies, Communication, Dance, Spanish, & Theater. 

A powerful artist, she is the voice behind the Fathers’ Uplift poem outro on the podcast. She shares her experience working with black boys who are experiencing fatherlessness and how dads can find their creative voice.

Guest Info

Facebook: Latrice P Young, Business Page: Distinctly Unique

Instagram: @Duniqueconnects

Twitter: @Duniquellc

Snapchat: @Duniquellc

Email: [email protected]

Father of The Day: Mr. Corey Thompson

Corey is a trained architect, "lover," and the proud father of two, a son and daughter. To Corey, children will always need their fathers, regardless of what anyone says. "Fathers father and mothers mother, we are built that way..." Corey's capacity to love is still in-tact, even after the passing of his son. Please tune in to learn more about the importance of love and fatherhood. 

Oftentimes during divorce, fathers feel voiceless in family probate court when advocating for parenting time and custody. You may be broken and think that your relationship with the child in your life is broken too. 

However, what’s broken can be fixed if you are willing to work at it and keep fighting for your role as a father. We all know it can be very frustrating and challenging to navigate through Family Probate Court. Nonetheless, you have to keep pushing and keep pushing forward, even when it hurts.  

Through reflection, you heal. Through resilience, you fight. Through courage, you endure. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and your voice matters, dads.

Let's unpack this difficult topic.

What is "father wantobeism"? 

While some men don’t want to be involved fathers, that percentage is extremely small, regardless of income level, ethnicity, or religion,  

Many men want to be good dads, but are frustrated by real challenges that demand recognition. For the vast majority of dads who are not present in their kids’ lives—particularly those from distressed communities—incarceration, extreme poverty, and negative self-esteem play a role in keeping them away.

Today, Leonard and Charles talk about that.

Welcome to Absent for a Reason, a podcast brought to you by Dr. Charles Daniels and staff at Father’s Uplift. The goal of Absent for a Reason (or AFAR) is to redefine fatherhood and bring truth to many of the false myths that incorrectly explain the absence of fathers.

To do this, we will be exploring parenting from the perspective of fatherhood and mental health expert, Dr. Charles Daniels. 

In doing so, we hope to:

- Give parents who have been largely overlooked by the mental health field relatable materials and advice that will enable them to reach their full potential 

- Help listeners to understand the problems that many experience every day, that are frequently misunderstood and ignored. 

Awareness fuels the understanding necessary to build a better tomorrow. Today, we're discussing this broader conversation that we're trying to open up.

Today the first three episodes of the AFAR Podcast are going live! Listen to hear what we'll be covering as we talk to fathers and families about father absences.

Jehu is the father of a two-year-old daughter, hailing from Port Au Prince, Haiti. Jehu enjoys cooking and mentoring the youth in his community. To Jehu, fathers are necessary because they set the foundation for the family. Learn more about Jehu’s approach to fathering.

“A father is the source of the family; they “build their wives and their children up.”

Today’s Father of The Day is Mr. Marv Neal. Marv is the father of 8 (5 girls and 3 boys). He’s also the founder of 365Dad, an organization that empowers fathers to be positive influences in the lives of their children through service, and a weekly radio show. If you want to know anything about fathering, Marv has the answers. To Marv, a lot of people take fatherhood lightly.

“Whether a man is able to contribute financially to the upbringing of a child or not, as long as he is there in a positive manner, that’s what’s important, and being there for the socio-emotional aspects of the child.”

Today's father of the day is Mr. Gregory Harris.  He is a proud father and a member of the Furthering Father team, whose mission is to build relations among fathers and transform communities. Gregory is an amazing example of fatherhood. He compares his role as a father to coaching sports. He used his experiences as a coach to become a dynamic father to his children and a great role model to those he coached. Tune in to hear some of his fathering strategies. Thank you Greg!

"When you go into fatherhood, one of the things you got to do is get your motives right... Make sure you have this child by a woman that you really love, that's major."