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Meet the Black Father Crew: An Interview with Dr. Brandy James

Feb. 26, 2026
Logo for the Black Father Crew, a silhouette of a tree with the word "unity" underneath


The Black Father Crew is a national network dedicated to supporting Black fathers raising children with disabilities. Founded in June 2023 by eight fathers who connected during the African American Conference on Disabilities in Phoenix, AZ, this grassroots initiative was born from shared experiences, challenges, and the need for a space that centers Black fathers navigating the complex journey of disability parenting.

Brandy James, a person with long dark hair, wearing a blue top, and smiling

The group is facilitated by Dr. Brandy James. Dr. James is lecturer at the U of A college of Family and Community Medicine, Sonoran Center affiliated faculty, and a mother of a child with disabilities.

We sat down with Dr. James to discuss how the Black Father Crew came to be, its mission, its future, and what drives Dr. James and the rest of the Black Father Crew to continue their important work. 

How did you get involved with the Black Father Crew?
The Black Father Crew began in 2023, during conference session planning for the African American Conference on Disabilities. I reached out to a few Black fathers through snowball sampling, to take part in a session at the conference. We set out to go over conference panel questions for 30 minutes, so the fathers could meet each other virtually before the conference. I created a list of questions that I wanted to touch on during our session. After about 45 minutes in, I knew the conversations were not going to end, so we kept the Zoom rolling. Around the hour mark, more than 1 of the 7 fathers commented that this was the first time they had ever been in a space where men who looked like them and were sharing similar stories and journeys of parenting a child with a disability. There were some tears shed during the initial call. Almost two hours into the call, I let the fathers know I would like to hold one more call a week out from the conference, and everyone agreed. It was during the second Zoom call that one of the fathers suggested we form a virtual group. I agreed, and after the conference in June the Black Father Crew was formed. I am now called the "Momager" of the Black Father Crew (BFC). I facilitate all virtual meetings, conference proposals, and other speaking engagements. It truly is one of the coolest positions I have had in my career. It is wonderful to see fathers bonding and forming real connections with one another from across the country. 
 
What are some of the project's main goals? 
The project hopes to increase national engagement of Black fathers of children with disabilities and build a stronger advocacy network for fathers. The BFC hopes to continue to meet with families within the disability community to increase awareness of the often-excluded Black fathers in disability studies and healthcare. We have been presented with an opportunity to develop an anthology of Black fathers of children with disabilities to share some of the “nuggets of advice” that have been constantly offered through the monthly virtual calls that would benefit education, healthcare and home visiting organizations such as early intervention and nurse family partnerships. 
 
What are some of the activities that the Black Father Crew takes part in?
The BFC meets on the third Wednesday of each month to gather and connect. But they also have been asked to present at many other conferences related to disabilities. For example, last summer they presented at the 2025 UNC Frank Porter Graham International Inclusion Institutes session, "We Are Not Hard to Reach: Engaging Black Fathers of Children with Disabilities" and the fathers were also invited to speak at the Division of Early Childhood 2025 Summer Institute, session, "Family Voices Leading The Work. . . Hear Our Wisdom", where they discussed creating inclusion in family home visiting programs. Recently, the BFC was asked to reprise their session from the UNC Frank Porter Graham Inclusion Institute, to present this May. They are also slated to do a talk for the California Perinatal Hub, to provide practitioners with insights into the importance of inclusion of Black fathers in perinatal health. 
 
If possible, could you share some of the findings of the project? What are some common experiences of Black fathers of kids with disabilities?
Some of the common themes from the initial research started in 2023, are the following:
Fathers expressed:
  • Denial and shock during diagnosis phase
  • Fear of the unknown regarding the life course
  • Grief, sadness and mental health. Another father shared, "So there was really no support when I started dealing with my mental health. The only reason I kind of found comfort with it [mental health] because I had work and school as a doc student. If it wasn't for that, I would have no outlets."
  • Uncertainty of how to address disability within the Black community
  • Maternal gatekeeping during medical and education appointments
  • The joy of finding a group of fathers that looked like them and were sharing similar parenting experiences
  • Their job of just being a provider, one father commented, "I didn't have the language. I don't know that I had the experience to even think that I needed a separate support system. I was just supposed to be a support for my partner. Be one for my daughter and that's it. That's just what the job is."
What is the future of the project?
We hope to use the research to develop more applicable tools for educators, early intervention and medical professionals who work alongside families of children with disabilities. The overall goal is to create spaces where Black fathers' voices are not only heard, but amplified in spaces where they have once been excluded about their children with disabilities. This inclusion will not only help medical professionals reduce the maternal gatekeeping during perinatal and postnatal appointments, but it offers a chance for Black fathers to engage in the entirety of the pregnancy journey and beyond. 
 
What is your favorite part of the Black Father Crew?
I love listening to the fathers talk about their lives, seeing the joy on their faces each meeting, just due to the ability to connect with each other in a space to talk about IEPs, dual caregiving roles, relationships, extracurricular activities. Each of them brings such strength, hope, and love to each meeting. It is evident for each of them a desire to have their voices heard, and they all truly have found a connection with one another. They have also taken up the desire to do more writing and speaking engagements as part of the Black Father Crew. It is truly an inspired space of joy, hope, and love.
 
How can people get involved with the Black Father Crew?
Individuals can contact me at bjames2@arizona.edu