Comedian Kevin Hart Says Good Black Fathers Are Not Represented Enough

Kevin Hart me-time The Children's Place Black fathers

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Aug 15, 05:53 pm

Kevin Darnell Hart, commonly known by his screen name as Kevin Hart, is a comedian and actor who appeared in the movies "Jumanji" sequels, "Scary Movie 3," "Think Like a Man," "Ride Along," etc. He has four children from two marriages.

Growing up in Philadelphia, he had the boys and girls club as his after-school spot, where he sometimes did his assignment and extracurricular activities and had access to books and an extended sense of community. In an interview with Kindred by Parents, he said they did their best to raise money and do everything to show support and provide kids in the community the education and help they truly needed.

In collaboration with The Children's Place, "The Secret Life of Pets" actor showed kids in underserved communities across the country that they deserve safe spaces that are fun, inspiring, and will serve as a source of learning for them.

Hart unveiled on Tuesday a redesigned reading space in East Harlem at the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center, and more than a hundred children filled the outdoor and indoor space at the center as they played games and listened to the actor read from his children's book, "Marcus Makes a Movie."

Not much talk about good Black fathers

The reading space in Harlem marks a brand new start as the "Think Like a Man" actor, and the Children's Place will launch several learning centers in deserving communities across the country. One of the online retailers, ThriftBooks, has already contributed more than 2,500 reading materials to the center's refreshed library. They promised to be consistent when presenting books and will continue donating more than 20,000 books to future centers.

Hart is beyond committed to bringing a positive representation to the forefront by portraying Black dads in ways the public doesn't often see on the big screen, and so is his collaboration with the Children's Place and providing books for the children and reading them to them.

"As I've grown to be and become the man that I am today, you start to understand what's important. You start to understand, at the end of the day, what you want your story to be," he stated.

In the comedian's new movie "Me Time," coming to Netflix on August 26, 2022, Hart portrays a stay-at-home dad whose wife takes the children on vacation so he can have some time to himself. According to Hart, that is not a representation of fathers, especially the Black fathers, and that hits the mainstream daily.

For the stand-up comedian, the way people talk about Black fathers and his contribution to that broader discussion matters. Making a good Black father a topic doesn't happen enough, and it's very far, few, and in between.

Black fathers, as good fathers, need acknowledgment too

The "Paper Soldiers" actor said that mothers should undoubtedly be celebrated, but Black fathers need that encouragement, too, as they also need that energy. Black fathers need to be celebrated, and doing so makes it cooler and better as it can also make those not doing it to the best of their ability want to change.

The father of four, who frequently featured his kids and his way of parenting in his stand-up comedy, said there's a lot of fun being a dad and a husband. Eventually, he hopes his light and humorous yet intentional displays of active parenting could inspire other dads.

Also, so many adults can learn from kids. One of the things Hart learned from his kids is that you should take the time out to ensure that you're happy, that you're being present, and that you're aware. Kids teach you how to be happy, per Parents.