B.K.'s Story: His Path to Becoming an Inner-City Custodial Father

African American males are regularly cast as deadbeat dads and non-contributors to family life. However, a growing literature has been documenting that African American males do contribute in many ways, including as custodial fathers. 5% of African American children live in single-parent father-only households. This paper presents B.K.'s story which describes his overcoming drug abuse and his becoming a custodial father. His story illustrates the powerful contribution African American males can make in their families and thereby in their communities. His story also describes how social outreach sustained him during his most troubled periods and supported his path to responsibility.