BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's an annual conference, but every year the conversation changes.
Buffalo Prenatal Network held its fifth annual Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative Conference. This year's conversation was "Healing Invisible Wounds," and Jessie L. Adolph was the lead speaker of the event.
"Hip-hop has impacted fatherhood for the positive," Adolph said, adding, "To know that those stories of emcees from the 80s, the 90s, and their struggles from fatherless to now becoming fathers."
RELATED ARTICLE: Community leaders honored at Black Achievers Awards
Adolph is writing a dissertation on fatherhood narratives from hip-hop lyrics. He said today's music has a different meaning than the throwbacks.
"In this modern era of Hip-Hop, you have a more complicated view of fatherhood, and they externalized the fathers from the conditions that shape men, and it prompts fathers to move forward and to change their narrative," Adolph said.
Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network strengthens women, fathers, and families to better their family's health and well-being through support and resources. The conference this year was held over two days.
On Friday morning, the conference focused on Black women's involvement with Black Fathers. Saturday's conversation was about locating trauma and life challenges and how to handle them.
"The impact on incarcerated fathers has on the absence of their children. How we can help bridge that gap? We can never replace the relationship or connection between a father and their child. What we do is facilitate the support to strengthen that relationship," said Jamal Davis Sr., another keynote speaker at the two-day event.