13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Fathers take different paths but share similar message

Fathers take different paths but share similar message

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and President Barack Obama are all Black Americans and historic fathers who impacted the world around them. As we celebrate Black History Month, we pay tribute to fatherhood by meeting some local fathers working to shape their own legacies at home and beyond.

"I would draw things, and my father would say, 'Son, it can't be built, but if you want to keep that idea, this is how we have to do it,'" said Vop Osili, an architect.

Vop Osili's dream of defining space began as a childhood passion. But it was his late father's nurturing and global vision that opened his eyes to rich opportunity.

"He took the initiative to come to America to go to Purdue to study engineering. I saw him as a man who had a great deal of determination and a lot of discipline," said Osili.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Vop Osili returned to his American mother's roots here in Indianapolis in hopes of living out the promise of his name.

"VOP"stands for "Voice of the People," a nickname he earned as a rambling toddler, and one that comes loaded with expectation.

In 2001, he and a business partner founded A2SO4, an architectural firm building and bridging cultures. The architectural firm is now building and bridging cultures in West Africa, including a $52 million travel plaza.

His motivation: Una, his wife, and their children, eight-year-old Arinze and six-month-old Tasia.

"I remember the power of my father's love for his kids," said Osili, clenching his hands with emotion. "I feel that for my kids and I want to do the best that I can for this kid."

At a time when 50 percent or more African American households with children lack fathers, Osili embraces his role. He recalls the painful separation from his own father during the height of war in Africa. His mother fled to the United States for safety. His father, a government engineer, stayed behind.

"So for five years of my childhood, from the time I was four until the time I was nine, I didn't have a father. I got really kind of uncomfortable when my son hit the age of four, because I thought I don't have a template. I don't have a model for this," he said.

He decided to let his inner boy teach him what his son needed. "We can look into ourselves and realize where those empty spaces are. I know that I missed it and I know what it did to me. How can I fill that void in someone else's life?"

On the city's northwest side, a wake-up call for young fathers creates a spiritual buzz. Before business hours, barber Kenneth Taylor opens his doors to pros in training at the Taylor Haircutting Company.

"Bless this event Lord, let us draw something from it," Taylor prays to start the 6:00 am session. 

"How many of you have ever experienced trying to go about to do good but there are distractions in the way to keep you from doing good. Anybody?" Taylor asked.

Here, fathers learn alongside their children, opening new lines of communication while blocking out the noise. Later, shirts, ties and lab coats pronounce a new day in a very old profession as Taylor seeks to etch a consistent line between character and fatherhood.

Taylor found his path ten years ago through church, a journey that started with a good look in the mirror.

"Growing up without a father was tough. I haven't always done the right things, but somewhere along the line we need to stop and look at what's going on and change what we do. You have to look at the greatest father there ever was," he said.

"You have to think this is all part of being a man, especially a father, because it ain't just you anymore," said Khabir Shareef, a motivational speaker.

That's a concept on the ground level of Fatherhood 101. On this night, 17 fathers representing 62 children are referred from Marion County Child Support Court to a parenting class. Here personal responsibility is key.

"A thinking man is stronger than a man who is ruled by his emotions," said Shareef.

It's a call to maturity and away from high risk living.

"The idea is to get out of there because it's high risk. You'll get killed, locked up and not being there for your child," Shareef told the crowd.

Shareef, Taylor and Osili walk three different paths but all have a constant message, and one without excuses. They believe President Barack Obama has taken all of the old excuses away.

For the little faces and young ones, these men are fulfilling their roles as fathers - a gift for generations.

"Become the man that you are meant to be. Live in hope, keep the past in memory, but shape your own tomorrow. Amen," said Osili.

President Obama plans to re-introduce the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to help support services for fathers and their families.