According to research shared with The Root from Dove Men+Care, less than half of Black fathers believe that the media portrays people like them accurately. And over 80 percent of Black fathers agree that we need more positive representations of Black fatherhood in mainstream media and popular culture.
But Glen Henry is trying to do something about that. The husband and father of four shares all of the hilarious and heartwarming moments from his everyday life on social media as Beleaf in Fatherhood. And he’s built a huge following, with over 340,000 Instagram followers and 1 million YouTube subscribers. I got lost in his Instagram feed, which is loaded with videos of the simplest moments like cutting his son’s hair and dancing with this daughter. His popularity got the attention of the folks at Dove Men+Care for their #CelebrateBlackDads initiative, which highlights real-life examples of Black dads doing great things. We spoke with Glen Henry, aka “Beleaf in Fatherhood,” about his mission to take hold of the narrative around Black men and fathers in the media.
The Baltimore native spent most of his childhood with his mother, as his father coparented from California. He says he started sharing positive images of Black fatherhood to inspire other men who may be uneasy about the responsibility. “I didn’t think fatherhood was possible for me until I saw another good father. And once I did, I felt so overwhelmed with belief in myself,” he said “Now I understand that I can screw up and everything will be fine. I didn’t know until I saw it and realized that the real power is in transparency and getting a glimpse into someone’s real life.”
Henry acknowledges that traditional gender roles have allowed us to believe that men go to work and women tend to the children. But he is quick to let you know that he is all in when it comes to fatherhood, sharing tender moments and teaching tough lessons with his kids. “I’m not just Dad to kick it. I’m doing the grooming. I’m clipping the nails and everything,” he laughs.
As he grew his following, Henry has always wanted to share content that contradicted the negative images of Black fathers typically portrayed in mainstream media. “The man’s role, especially in a sitcom setting, is usually like a buffoon who can’t do anything right or is just sitting on the couch taking up space.” He adds that positive images of Black fathers are rare, so when you see one, it’s treated like a phenomenon. “I think that’s why my stuff is celebrated the way it is,” he said.
Henry says the best thing we can do to change the narrative is to encourage more dads to find a platform to share their stories. “We have to stop allowing the powers that be to portray us in a certain light. We have to become the media and change that,” he says. “When you don’t share your story, you give other people permission to make their own version of it.”