After his stepfather was killed by gang gunfire in 2017, Tristan Phipps was determined to look after his brothers and live a productive life. “I needed to not just be a father but also be and show my little brothers and my cousins what a real man is,” he says.
Tristan’s biological father was rarely in the picture, and his stepfather was caring but had made bad life choices. With the help of therapists and organizations, such as Fathers, Families, & Healthy Communities (FFHC), Tristan is coping with the trauma of his stepfather’s death and finding a better path. FFHC helped him learn how to communicate his thoughts and emotions in a healthy way, and that it’s OK to ask for help.
Clinton Boyd, Jr., Ph.D., the organization’s executive director, says the group aims to improve the quality of life for Black fathers, who are essential for the safety, stability and strength of their families and communities. Most participants are 18 to 30, formerly incarcerated, or involved in community violence intervention programs.
I have obtained necessary tools to make my little brother a man our father would be proud of.
Tristan Phipps
“We work with the individual father to strengthen his capacity to support himself and his children and his family,” says Dr. Boyd, who became a father at 15 and earned a doctorate in sociology. “However, many fathers we work with have been the victims of systemic inequities, so we don’t shy away from addressing structural imbalances within society. To improve the lives of our men, we do a lot of direct service work. At the same time, we are also into systems transformation and unapologetically speaking truth to power in how we engage in this work.”
FFHC serves about 80 fathers annually and aspires to serve hundreds more. Programs are focused in North Lawndale, Englewood, Chicago Lawn and Bronzeville. Dr. Boyd grew up on the West Side. “Securing more resources, financial and nonfinancial, will allow us to scale responsibly because it’s not just about the numbers; it’s more so about the transformative impact we can have. We need to have quality engagement with our men in ways that speak to their humanity and recognize the complex needs that they have that must be addressed.”
The organization’s signature program, Fathers United, offers healing, peer support, career readiness and other services. “We are intentional about reaching the men that most systems leave behind, the folks that society has written off as irredeemable,” Dr. Boyd says. Their report, “Breaking the Chains,” grounded in qualitative research, addresses systemic joblessness, criminalization, and economic disenfranchisement, while offering community-rooted policy solutions.
Tristan graduated high school in May 2023, winning awards in baseball and wrestling. He plans to get an associate degree, get married and get a bachelor’s degree. FFHC doesn’t just teach you how to be a father, Tristan said in a recent FFHC commencement speech. “They give you a blueprint of how to live a sustainable life as a man. Thanks to the mentorship they provided, I have obtained necessary tools to make my little brother a man our father would be proud of.”
Through the Robert R. McCormick Communities Fund, dedicated people across Chicagoland help make sure that every child and family has opportunities to achieve their goals. With your support, we can create new possibilities and help make countless dreams come true. Funding from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation Communities Fund assists organizations on the South and West Sides of Chicago to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children, young adults, and families each and every day.
