The enjoyment
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
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Hamza Abdul-Mumit
The enjoyment
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
In reminiscence and respect for my father, Sayyid Abdul-Mumit
There was no enchantment to black fathers to carry their youngsters to the annual Dance Africa Avenue Pageant in Brooklyn. However there they had been, in all their sweetness of black masculinity. They’d black youngsters hoisted onto their shoulders, held of their fingers and stroked their delicate hair. Out of respect for my father, I took footage of a few of the fathers with their youngsters to remind them that black fathers matter.
My black father issues. I didn’t have my father’s bodily blood, however the religious connection – the religious blood of father and son – was irreversible. My father adopted me and gave me his title. He raised me up and guarded me and was there in my life to steer by instance – lead me into masculinity, lead me into the function of father.
Left: The Help Presence Proper: Enjoyable Dad
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
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Left: The Help Presence Proper: Enjoyable Dad
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
I perceive the significance of being a person because the spine of being a father. After I spoke to the fathers on the Dance Africa Pageant, my father’s themes got here by way of: the themes of stability and being current in our youngsters’s lives had been constant; perceive that it’s an honor to have our youngsters and that honor grows and turns into entrenched as our youngsters develop.
Dad’s supportive presence is irreplaceable. The repeated phrase concerning the absence of black fathers was lifted on the pageant that day. The band has definitely been dealt with in my life.
Left: The information in a busy, crowded world Proper: The supplier
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
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Left: The information in a busy, crowded world Proper: The supplier
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
For 40 years, my life was blessed by my dad’s presence. Shortly after his loss of life, in 2021, I went on social media in honor and in reminiscence to share issues of the person who raised me. It was extremely private and very needed for my grief, in addition to my therapeutic.
Whereas honoring my fantastic father, black males my age advised me that they both didn’t have relationship with their father or didn’t know him in any respect. Their phrases jogged my memory of the blessing of fatherhood.
Their phrases additionally made me admire my father much more.
Left: The Comforter Proper: The Watchful Eye
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Left: The Comforter Proper: The Watchful Eye
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
The 12 months after my dad’s loss of life, I have been making an attempt to be a greater father. I do know this isn’t attainable with out being a greater individual. A part of being a greater individual is understanding that true masculinity just isn’t poisonous. It isn’t super-aggressive. I do know this as a result of my father lived it for me to expertise. I do know as a result of I witnessed it on the Dance Africa Pageant. I witnessed robust black males having fun with time with their youngsters whereas defending them and exhibiting them affection. These males let me stand nonetheless and really feel the presence of my very own father whereas I requested the media to indicate extra footage of them and black fathers like them – footage of black masculinity based mostly on love for our youngsters, our youngsters, our households.
This collection of pictures reveals the sweetness within the steady presence of black males and their youngsters. I want I had extra footage of me and Dad, however every of those footage is respectful of the black father who I discovered worthy of his time and presence and shared myself with me, his son.
Left: The Coach and the Motivator Proper: The primary man to like her down
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Left: The Coach and the Motivator Proper: The primary man to like her down
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
Left: The primary man to make her smile Proper: Lion delight
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
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Left: The primary man to make her smile Proper: Lion delight
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
Left: Safety Proper: Inspiration
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Left: Safety Proper: Inspiration
Hamza Abdul-Mumit
Husband, father, Muslim, pan-African, author, trainer, photographer, avid traveler, techie and pal. Hamza Abdul-Mumit is a Brooklyn native who’s enthusiastic about his tradition, the humanities and his neighborhood. Its objective is to report tradition for the aim of understanding. Comply with his work on Instagram @ipressnpush or his web site www.hamzaam.com.
Grace Widyatmadja edited the photographs for this work.