Name: Johnnie Calloway | City: Kansas City, Mo | IG: @Jmcalloway6

What does being a father mean to you?

Begin a father is like running a relay race, I’m sprinting hard as I can knowing I’ll one day be passing the baton off to my children and I want them in a position to win! I ask myself every night “Are you comfortable with the actions you displayed today becoming your children’s habits tomorrow”?

Describe your experience with your father growing up and how that impacted you today.

My relationship with my father wasn’t the best in my childhood. My parents would get drunk and fight every night. At the age of 13 I started fighting my father on behave of my mother. I wasn’t able to play basketball my senior year due to having a broken hand from punching my father. Today my father and I have a great relationship I understand the problems him and my mother had didn’t have anything to do with me. He was always a good father and did the best he could with what he knew from his childhood. My father is my best friend.

What things did you take from your experience growing up into your own fatherhood journey?

My biggest take away from my childhood was that I did not want my children to experience poverty. Often we would have no lights no water gas in the house, I remember sometimes school lunch was the only time I can eat I told myself my kids will never experience anything like this. I made a promise to myself that I would give my children the greatest childhood ever and I’ve kept my word to this day.

Have you had any obstacles on your fatherhood journey?

I have six children with three different women so my journey to fatherhood is very interesting. I take supreme responsibility for all the situations I’ve been in so I will say all of my obstacles have come from being in my own way or not thinking long term. Begin a father is only as hard as you make it I believe, once I blocked out all the noise and my focused on begin the great dad possible everything else fell into place.

What advice would you give others new on their fatherhood journey?

Advice to fathers would be who you procreate where is the biggest decision you ever make in your life. I became a father at age of 20 so I would also say know who you are as a man before you bring a child into this world. Who you choose as the mother of your child determines what your journey through fatherhood is like choose wisely.

If you could write a quick letter to your father, starting with “Dear Father,” what would you say?

Dear father thank you! For the courage and confidence you put inside of me. For letting me know I can do anything that I put my mind to with hard-work and faith. I understand that every day you walked out the door you never had to come back home. I got to spend the first 18 years of my life with my father most can’t say that. Without you I don’t become the man I am.

Name some other fathers you cosign.