Season 2 | Episode 4: Happy Father’s Day – Honoring and Celebrating our Dads with the Millennials

Hello everyone. Welcome back to Cynthia@theTable. I am your host, Cynthia! Today, we are celebrating the special fathers in our lives. Fathers are equally as important as mothers are in our lives, so you know we had to come back for another episode dedicated solely to the dads out there.

Last season at the table around this time, I gave a little historical context on the founding of Father’s Day and how our nation began celebrating this holiday. Even now, I’m still intrigued regarding the history of Father’s day.

Last Father’s Day I talked about how I had learned that in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge recognized Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June of that year and encouraged States to do the same.

However, Congress only officially recognized Father’s Day in 1956 with the passage of a joint resolution. That’s amazing because that was only 65 years ago.

Obviously, many of the fathers out there were actually fathers long before the holiday was officially recognized by Congress. But wait, it gets better. Ten years later in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation calling for the third Sunday in June to be recognized as Father’s Day. And it was not until 1972 that Richard Nixon permanently established the observance of the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in the U.S.

Now that was only 49 years ago!


In comparison, and to add some more perspective, Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914, which was some 40 years earlier.

Wow…so enlightening, yet disheartening to see how, as a nation, we have over the years, while maybe not intentionally, systemically undermined the importance of fathers. I guess that means there is still much work to be done around fatherhood and celebrating our fathers.

Nevertheless, as I’m sure many of our listeners would agree, raising our children is at the top of the list of biggest accomplishments and responsibilities for a mom and dad. With that being said, Father’s Day is such a heart-warming celebration for me and a big deal in our home!

It is a time when we get to acknowledge and honor the men in our lives who have been a role model, father figure, a provider, an encourager, and a protector. That includes biological fathers, stepdads, big brothers, coaches, adoptive dads, paternal relative caregivers, and foster parents who have been father figures in the lives of others.

As I have shared before, having been raised by my mother and step-father, I personally have a special appreciation for men who step up and take care of children who are not biologically his own.

And I want to again thank and acknowledge today my dad for being there for me! I must also take the opportunity to give a special heartfelt recognition to my incredibly amazing husband, Mr. Marvin Miller, who is a remarkable man, husband, and father, and the backbone of my family who unselfishly gives so much of himself in providing for our family.

Happy Father’s Day babe!


I also want to recognize and acknowledge the wonderful fathers and husbands of my co-hosts. As well as take a moment to give a shout out to my brothers, brothers-in-law, and nephews for being the loving fathers that they are! Well alright listeners, you are in for some exciting table talk!

We are about to hear from our dynamic special guests with us today. We are going to spend some time talking to them about fatherhood and what the role of a father means to them based on their life journeys, upbringings, and experiences as well as how these experiences have shaped their lives into who they are today.

They are young, exceptional Black men who are amazing role models, influencers, fathers, and father-like figures in their own rights.

That’s right, we have some millennials at the table today!


They represent faith leaders, educat