Can You Hear Us Now? Black Fathers | NBC News NOW Special

Trymaine Lee explores issues important to Black America through the lens of father and fatherhood. Special guests include Tracey Martin, father of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown Sr., father of Mike Brown Jr., Jacob Blake, father of Jacob Blake, Jr., actor and filmmaker Mario Van Peebles, and TODAY co-hosts Al Roker and Craig Melvin.

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#TrayvonMartin #MichaelBrown #JacobBlake

[Hersheydimples]

Well if more black men would actually stay and help raise yall kids you wouldn't be labeled like this 🤷🏾‍♀️

[joesmoth]

How about we hold our selves to a higher standard

[gregorysedmunds]

Happy Father's Day... Thanks for this tribute... My Father was always there for us 100%.. My kids are my treasure my joy my purpose.. People have no clue outside our community what great Fathers we have....

[jinxkrug]

I am an old, 72 year old white woman, and I enjoyed your presentation thoroughly. I have to say that all your segments were important. Media has a job to change the narrative about Black fathers. 100% on the truth about white shooters and " mental illness talk vs. Black young men and the parenting issue. It disgusts me. Love Tje Peebles men. And the advice to young or any father really is to be there and actively engaged with your kids, not on your phone in the same room or in the other room playing video games or watching sports on the TV, any sport to just fill the time and airspace! Excellent.

[jillmanning]

This was wonderful...I was blessed to be loved by My Dad, and my Step Dad.

[BlackdadICAN-]

We have a vision that stems from trauma that few have to experience on a daily basis

[janiekcarney]

It goes back to what is the percentage of Black men are in the lives of their children and paying the bills. Not enough!

[bradlee]

"Trayvon was 17 and armed with nothing but a bag of skittles". You forgot the part where he ran away from the area George Zimmerman was in only to return to that same spot 4 minutes later and attacked George Zimmerman. He mounted Zimmerman and continued attacking him for more than 60 seconds - and did not stop even after a neighbor came outside and yelled that he was calling 911. Zimmerman screamed his head off and did not fight back, and Trayvon still did not stop. You forgot those parts, conveniently. MSNB-Heehaw! A name well deserved!

[goldenstate]

Attention to all fathers that deal with bitter baby mamas…things will turn out just fine if you just focus on what kind of father you are from your child’s point of view…My baby moms was so bitter for a couple years..then the more I told her about herself, the more we argue, and the more we argue, the more she ain’t let me talk to my kids or see them…I had to learn to always be nice to her even when she clearly a nut and in the wrong…us fathers gotta turn the other cheek and be our best selves for our kids cuz the mothers will take forever to grow and mature. You gotta let the mom look like the fool to your kids . You can’t look foolish…I focused more on my life and goals, and sat back and let my bm make more mistakes in life, like getting pregnant 2 more times without marriage, and her other baby’s father who she tried to force my 2 kids to call “dad” just because of resentment towards me…now he don’t wanna be with her either (recently she even cried over that while driving and got into a car accident while pregnant and had their new born in the back seat, luckily they didn’t get hurt and my two kids weren’t in the car) so now total, she has 3 kids with one on the way….and since I’ve been nothing but nice and supportive of her even tho in my mind I know she’s a horrible mom…now we agreed that we get joint custody of our 2 children clearly cuz she can’t handle what she thought she could…now I get to have what I been wanting for years because I sat back and been cordial with her and I let her be the fool …now I can have my kids and show them the way of life since she was gonna lead their minds astray like her mother did to her..I turned the other cheek because I knew if I didn’t, she wouldn’t raise my kids right…I know I rambled a bit but hopefully more fathers can learn from this 💯trust me that’s the way to go

[tashavirtue]

The best examples of what a black father should be. My father left when I was little. I am black and it sucks to carry a bias like that being a black child. My nephew will unfortunately have the same. Truly sad.

[isiahmatthews]

I don't consider myself to be a Christian I consider myself to be a believer

[blaqbay]

What about White Latino Indian Asian Fathers?

[fleetingreese]

Great programmed, good conversations.👏🏽👍

[Exodus.Pi]

My Dad wasn't around much but he was around some.

[DarkPassenger]

Why do they keep treating criminals as victims? We all know the stories of the 3 of these guys kids and they weren't good people. This whole "special" is so out of touch. Highlight the black fathers that are raising their kids the right way, not these guys.

[onedeepspeak]

Stop calling us black. We are not black.

[martharoberson]

Thank you Mr. Lee for the video presentation about Black fathers. I hope they watched. hope

[bradlee]

"Jacob Blake was involved in a traffic stop...when a police officer put four bullets in his back". That's all you're going to say. Seriously? First, it was not a traffic stop. Police were called because Jacob Blake did not belong at the house he was attempting to visit, because he had a restraining order against him. When police attempted to arrest him, he resisted arrest and fought with police and escaped - and ignored commands to stop - and then with a knife concealed in his hand attempted to get reach inside his car - causing police to reasonably believe he was reaching for a weapon (instead of trying to dispose of the knife). This is how you start your "special"? No credibility whatsoever!

[marknewlin]

Blake was shot reaching for a knife and trying to take off in car that wasn't his and taking 3 kids that he had restraining order against even going near!
Those officers did thier job well and stoped him!

[roseguzmanchin]

FYI; Right now anybody black white brown yellow red and blue who wears the title of a priest or a pastor or boogie man's right now in the United States!!!