By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Welfare once came with a warning: No man allowed. Starting in the 1960s, welfare policies such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) punished Black households for having a father present. If a man was in the home, families could be denied benefits—forcing many fathers to leave so their children could receive basic support.
“Man-in-the-house” rules tore families apart. Caseworkers con- ducted surprise inspections—opening closets, checking for shoes, toothbrushes, or signs of a male presence. It wasn’t just humiliating. It was strategic. The system incentivized father absence and penalized stability in Black homes.
This wasn’t about help—it was about control. Black families were disproportionately affected. By the 1970s, nearly 50% of all Black children were receiving welfare, compared to just 20% of white children—despite similar poverty levels. But only Black families were systematically targeted and surveilled.
They pushed Black fathers out—and blamed them for leaving.
Media narratives painted Black men as irresponsible, while ignoring the structural forces at work: job discrimination, mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, and housing laws that refused to rent to families with male heads of household.
But here’s the truth: Black fathers didn’t disappear. They were pushed.
According to a CDC study, Black fathers (even those who live outside the home) are more involved in their children’s lives than any other racial group reading to their kids, helping with homework, and providing daily care.
Our men were never absent—they were erased. From sleeping in cars so families could keep benefits, to working off the books to avoid disqualification, Black fathers showed up in quiet, sacrificial ways the system never acknowledged.
Now it’s time we set the record straight.
This Father’s Day, we honor every dad, uncle, big brother, and men- tor who stepped up. The system may have tried to remove you—but your presence remains undefeated.
The war on Black fatherhood was real—but love fought harder.
