Father Helps Young Men Be Better Dads

This Black History Month, we honor the GAME CHANGERS: Everyday heroes whose actions make life better for the people around them. SEE ALL OUR GAME CHANGERS HERE.

Andre Dandridge

Place of Residence: Detroit

Why He is a Game Changer: When Dandridge was a 21-year-old senior at the University of Michigan, he found out he was going to be a Father. He also found out that there weren’t many resources geared toward young Black men to help him prepare.

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“My first reaction to the news was not joy,” Dandridge told the Michigan Bulletin. “I knew the responsibility of being a Father was going to be a life-changing experience, and I didn’t want to be irresponsible.”

That’s when the idea for Dandridge’s group, New Young Fathers, came into being. He knew there were other young men out there who wanted to be good Fathers to their children but they likely did not have had the guidance and resources to help them do so.

According to the U.S. Census, approximately 50 percent of Black children are being raised in single family households where the Mother is the head.

African-American children living in  households headed by a single male account for only 3.5 percent of the total.