The Myth of Low-Income Black Fathers’ Absence From the Lives of Adolescents

Abstract

Low-income Black fathers have been portrayed in the media and in research as uninvolved and disengaged from their children. The current study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study ( N = 2578) to examine adolescents’ reports of relationships and interaction with their biological fathers. The results showed there were no significant differences among Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, and Other fathers for adolescents’ perceptions of closeness or interaction with fathers. After accounting for statistical controls, the association between race/ethnicity and father involvement was not significantly moderated by mother-father residential status. The results substantiate what other researchers have concluded: low-income, nonresident, and coresident Black fathers are no less involved with their children than fathers in other racial/ethnic groups.