My name is Deandre Jackson and I am a 25 year old African American male living in Harlem

New York. I have two children a son named Gabriel and a daughter named Christina alongside

with my wife whose name is Janet. Recently me and my wife have been going through some

problems because she thinks I am not being the ideal father to my children. She thinks that I

come home too late, don’t treat her the way she is supposed to be treated and don’t teach my

children things that are very valuable to them. Also, she is worried about me leaving her for a

white woman but the funny thing is that I have no interest in them but she is the love of my life.

To clear my mind I decided to go to the Studio Museum in Harlem which was not too far from

where I lived. As I walked into the museum I could see all the different pieces and sculptures

that filled up the walls and the wooden floors. Most of the paintings were filled with vibrant colors

and one thing that most of the pieces had in common was that they all had something to do with

the African American culture. There was one piece that caught my eye which was the Black

Men We Need You painting made by Barbara Jones-Hogu which was placed high up on one of

the walls and I wondered why they placed it so high. The painting consisted of bright colors

such as green, blue, and red and on the background of the painting it said “Black Men We Need

You” in bold letters. The painting also features a black men with his two children and there

seems to be a large face on the painting which looks as if it is a black woman. This painting

spoke to me the most because it was almost an exact representation of my life. The artist was

trying to explain how black men need to be good husbands in marriages with black women.

Also, that black men are important in the development of their children’s lives and they need to

be there every step of the way. There has always been a stereotype about how black men are

deadbeat dads and are unable to take care of their children but I didn’t want to fall into that

category as a father. This painting also taught me that black men need to stay away from white

women so they are able to preserve the race of black people. I’m already with a beautiful black

woman so I don’t think me being with a white woman will happen anytime soon. The painting

has impacted me in a large way. It has been a pleasure to speak to other men who share the

same culture as me. Now I will go home and give my family all the attention that they need. I will

take my kids wherever they want to go, I will fill them up with knowledge because at a young

age their minds are like sponges and I will just be there whenever they need me. This painting

will forever be stuck inside of my mind.