With the May 2022 release of “My Seven Black Fathers,” Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember adds “author” to his extensive resume. Will says, “I'm thankful for the opportunity to tell my story of father loss, father gain, as I seek to lay to waste the negative stereotypes that encumber Black men and boys.” Will sees Black fathers as a community treasure and believes they can counter racist ideas by being present in the lives of Black boys and young men. Will’s own mentors include a Black male teacher who taught him how to tie a tie; a gay colleague of his mother’s who got Will off junk food and took him to his first play; the high-school coach and chorus director who helped Will through crushing disappointment; the man who helped Will navigate his American upbringing and his Nigerian heritage which eventually led to a reconciliation with his biological father; and President Barack Obama, who made Will his associate director of public engagement at the White House. The influence of these men helped Will become a civil rights and education policy attorney, public servant, husband, and father.
Article by Lauri Gross
Originally published in Potomac Lifestyle