Meet Michael Washington of We Raise Our Kids (W.R.O.K) in Inglewood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Washington.

Michael, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was like nine years old, I was at my doctor office with my mother. While waiting to be seen, she told me to read one of the magazines on the table. I can’t remember what magazine it was, might’ve been JET, Essence or Ebony but I wind up flipping through the pages and I came across an article that stated “In the urban black community there’s only one father for every five households.” When I read it, I immediately disagreed with that notion, but for some reason that stuck with me. When I got home later that day, I stood on the balcony of my apartment and scanned each residents. “Father, no father, no father, Father” I went until each apartment I knew had kids was counted for. In the end, it was 17 apartments with kids but only three fathers. I stood there shocked, but I was also determined and in that moment I made a promise to myself that I will change that. The birth of We Raise Our Kids (WROK pronounced Rock) had been in the works for years, but after having my first child, I decided to move forward with the idea. WROK is an organization focused on strengthening relationships between fathers their families and communities.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting out, I was skeptical of sharing the idea with my friends, but as soon as I presented it to my best friend Clifford (Bliff) Parker a father as well, he was all in. I then reached out to two of my other friends Alrick (Butta) Augustine and Michael Santana who are also fathers. They also loved the idea and so we started.

A few months after our initial kick off, a Father’s Day Picnic my best friend of 25 years and co-founder of WROK Bliff passed away due to complications from kidney failure. It was very tough for me to move forward with the organization’s future plans because we were missing a vital piece. He definitely took being a father, more importantly a black father serious and enjoyed every minute of it. It took me a while to realize that one of the reasons WROK was created was to have a community of fathers helping raise kids when their father couldn’t do so. In a sense, what we were creating was for moments like this.

Please tell us about We Raise Our Kids (W.R.O.K).
The Goal of We Raise Our Kids has always been to strengthen the relationship between fathers and their children. We also understand due to circumstances outside of the kid’s control that not all are able to have that relationship, but that should not keep them from having a father figure. When I was younger, I played basketball at the Inglewood YMCA. Being there amongst the men created an environment of a father network.

WROK takes a lot of pride in being positive black and brown male role models for our communities. Also being a brotherhood where we can call upon each other to talk and share with issues related to fatherhood. In the fall our mentorship program begins where middle and high school young men have a place to voice their opinions and concerns in a judgment-free zone. Also teaching them how to carry themselves in our current environment. Young men aren’t the only ones that suffer when the father is not around. Our young queens are most important and we plan to have a program in place for them at the top of the year.

This past year we took our daughters to a Father Daughter Dance and had an incredible time out.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
What we do here at WROK is needed across the United States but especially here. This community is in dire need of men to look up to. Men that take pride in fatherhood and family. Men that care about where they came from and want to leave it better than it was before. The only regret I have is waiting so long to get the ball rolling on things. My advice, if you have a vision that keeps you up at night then it’s worth pursuing in the morning.

Pricing:

• WROK T-shirt range from $10 – $25 Goes towards funding programs & events.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/WeRaiseOurKids
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WeRaiseOurKids
• Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WeRaiseOurKids

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