On The Eve of the 100th Anniversary of Father’s Day; Book Highlights the Struggle on Both Sides of Fatherlessness
(Niskayuna, New York – )Most recently the words of “fatherhood” have been echoed from the seat of the presidency to the struggling homes of children who find themselves being raised in today’s society without the influence of a positive, contributing and responsible father. “When The Tear Won’t Fall,” One Man’s Journey through the Intimate Struggles of Manhood and Fatherhood makes an attempt at taking its readers along the continuum of being raised fatherless. Today over 24 Million children wake up without their biological fathers in the home, and most of them will live out the rest of their lives spending very little time with them, or never knowing them at all.
Alicia Crowe; author of REAL DADS STAND UP! quotes in “When The Tear Won't Fall, Braswell delivers an awesomely inspiring yet courageous personal truth with such emotional honesty that is rare, relevant and necessary.” This first time author has worked for over 20 years in his community. Through the publishing of his two community newspapers, radio career, organizational development, working with not-for-profits (Urban League of Northeastern New York; W. Haywood Burns Environmental Education Center, Fathers Incorporated; etc.) and his vast volunteer experience, Mr. Braswell finds himself working in a field of work to which his personal life lends an overwhelming amount of expertise. Braswell states; “The intergenerational impact of fatherlessness cannot be overstated. Where there has been no father or father figure, most young boys and girls struggle, frequently unsuccessfully, to get a picture of the importance of being good parents themselves.”
Braswell uses his own life’s experience in an attempt to lay out a clearer understanding of what goes on in the minds of young boys who struggle to make decisions, without the critical and valuable input of fathers. Braswell continues to say that “without intervention, this becomes an inter-generational cycle and has devastating results. Studies continually show that children without involved dads are 3 to 4 more times likely to be poor, drop out of school, become a teen parent; use drugs, and go to jail.”
For over 7 years, Braswell has worked in the field of responsible fatherhood where in 2004 he created Fathers Incorporated; a not-for-profit agency charged with the task of exploring the problem of fatherlessness, devising solutions and providing training for organizations seeking to do programmatic work with fathers. The agency is limited in its operations today, because in 2006, Braswell became the Director of the New York State Fatherhood Initiative. Braswell is an emerging and vibrant voice on the frontlines of America's growing responsible fatherhood movement - a voice whose time has come to be heard!, says Shawn Dove; Manager of the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Development.
Currently Braswell sits on the National boards of the Father’s and Family Coalition of America and the National Fathers Leaders Group. Locally he serves on the New York Parenting Education Partnership, Hudson Valley Fatherhood Alliance, Real Dads Network and other committees and tasks forces. Braswell brings a spirit and passion to the work of Responsible Fatherhood and his experience with his 3 daughters, ages 28, 16 and 10 and newborn son, has heightened his awareness to the challenges faced by men seeking to establish or maintain parental relationships when there is a relationship separation.
When The Tear Won’t Fall spans 47 years of personal struggle for Braswell and his story is the common tale of boys all over the world growing up in single mother households. Sociologically the book speaks to the systematic difficulties of a society that has not embrace the importance of fatherhood, psychologically the book speaks to how we interpret that message, reason with it and then more often engage in inappropriate behaviors. Lastly, biographically it tells one man’s personal journey by exploring the commonality of our boyhood experiences and how those experiences impact our path to manhood and further, fatherhood. “As one who also grew up without his father, I can honestly say that Kenneth Braswell and I are kindred spirits committed to doing the sacred work of connecting fathers to their children-heart to heart,” says Roland Warren; President of the National Fatherhood Initiative.
“When The Tear Won’t Fall” will be available on June 15, 2009 in time for Father’s Day. Purchase locations, book readings/signings, online purchases, endorsements and an excerpt can be found by visiting www.kennethbraswell.com/tear.
