Detroit Native Shaka Senghor is Seeking Stories About Fatherhood

The bestselling author is working on a coffee table book with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan
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Detroit native Shaka Senghor, pictured above, is working with Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan on a new campaign celebrating fatherhood.

In his new book, Letters to the Sons of Society: A Father’s Invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom, Detroit native Shaka Senghor writes messages to his sons and explores topics like Black fatherhood, masculinity, and mental health. Building upon this work, the New York Times bestselling author launched a national campaign with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan (BGCSM) last month that seeks letters from fathers to their children.

Called #MyFatherIsDope, the campaign is interested in finding diverse stories that celebrate the importance of fatherhood. The letters collected during the campaign will be used in a coffee table book that will be distributed across the U.S. this Father’s Day. All proceeds will go toward BGCSM.

“When I began writing Letters to the Sons of Society, I was reminded of how important my dad’s letter had been to me, and I wanted to invite other father’s and their children into the sacred experience of sending and receiving letters,” says Senghor in a press release. “The work that the BGCSM team are doing is aligned with my passion as a mentor and a dad. It’s a natural extension of what I believe my purpose is as an ambassador of literature, and social impact investor.”

Senghor, who is a university lecturer and advocate for criminal justice reform, is also the author of Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison. A story of redemption, the 2017 memoir details Senghor’s experience in the prison system and examines issues surrounding mass incarceration.

The #MyFatherIsDope campaign is running through June. Those interested in submitting a letter can do so online.

For more information, visit myfatherisdope.com.