Will Jawando’s My Seven Black Fathers tells a deeply affirmative story of hope and respect for men of color at a time when Black men are routinely stigmatized. “Will Jawando's account of mentorship, service, and healing lays waste to the racist stereotype of the absent Black father. By arguing that Black fathers are not just found in individual families, but are indeed the treasure of entire Black communities, Will makes the case for a bold idea: that Black men can counter racist ideas and policies by virtue of their presence in the lives of Black boys and young men. This is a story we need to hear.” ―Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist As a boy growing up outside DC, Will, who went by his Nigerian name, Yemi, was shunted from school to school, never quite fitting in. He was a Black kid with a divorced white mother, a frayed relationship with his biological father, and teachers who scolded him for being disruptive. Eventually, he became close to Kalfani, a kid he looked up to on the basketball court. Years after he got the call telling him that Kalfani was dead, another victim of gun violence, Will looks back on the relationships he had with a series of extraordinary mentors who enabled him to thrive. Among them were Mr. Williams, the rare Black male grade school teacher, who found a way to bolster Will’s self-esteem; Jay Fletcher, the openly gay colleague of his mother’s who got him off junk food and took him to his first play; Wayne Holmes, the high school coach and chorus director who saw him through a crushing disappointment; Deen Sanwoola, the businessman who helped him bridge the gap between his American upbringing and his Nigerian heritage, eventually leading to a dramatic reconciliation with his biological father; and President Barack Obama, who made Will his associate director of public engagement at the White House―and invited him to play basketball on more than one occasion. Without the influence of these men, Will knows he would not be who he is today: a civil rights and education policy attorney, a civic leader, a husband, and a father. Drawing on Will’s inspiring personal story, My Seven Black Fathers offers a transformative way for Black men to shape the next generation. "Throughout My Seven Black Fathers , Jawando uses his current vantage to offer trenchant assessments of his past that branch out into urgent cultural conversations about present-day subjects like respectability politics and the dominant narratives of fatherless households, among others. As Jawando notes, 'The power of these Black male mentors is that they make America a more just place for Black boys and a better place for all Americans.'" ―Manuel Betancourt, The New York Times Book Review " A passionate 'love letter to Black men' . . . Candid and uplifting . . . This book is a clarion call to families and communities to provide crucial support to young people, particularly young Black men." ―Andrienne Cruz, Booklist (starred review) " [A] rousing debut . . . Jawando brilliantly uses the arc of his life to root out how 'Black male mentors... make America a more just place for Black boys and a better place for all Americans' . . . Vivid and moving . . . Stirring . . . A powerful call to action in these fraught times." ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) "[Jawando] deftly uses his personal story to provide a trenchant structural analysis of how American racism plays out in Black men’s everyday lives . His talent for creating striking imagery and memorable scenes draws readers into his masterfully constructed world. Jawando treats his past self with compassion without ever skirting responsibility for his mistakes." ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Jawando has written an enlightening, heartfelt memoir that will appeal to readers looking for a ‘different’ all-American story ; one that shows the power of community to uplift Black men in the United States." ―Leah K. Huey, Library Journal (starred review) "Will Jawando's account of mentorship, service, and healing lays waste to the racist stereotype of the absent Black father. By arguing that Black fathers are not just found in individual families, but are indeed the treasure of entire Black communities, Will makes the case for a bold idea: that Black men can counter racist ideas and policies by virtue of their presence in the lives of Black boys and young men. This is a story we need to hear." ― Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times– bestselling author of How to be an Antiracist "Will Jawando’s book, My Seven Black Fathers , speaks urgently to the moment. In walking us through his recovery from the wounds of his own father loss, he speaks to our potential for healing as a people and to the incredible resources for becoming whole that are already contained within our communities. His book is the key to unlock that healing." ― Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope: Barack