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WITH LARRY DRAKE, PH.D., ’90 EMBA,
dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Q: You spent almost 30 years working at CocaCola and currently work as an academic dean. What led you to transition from the corporate world to higher ed? A: About 10 years before I retired from my corporate and entrepreneurial career, I decided that I wanted to return to school and seek a terminal degree. While living outside this country for almost the last decade of my career, I noticed that that there were significant differences between the U.S. educational system and job and career readiness versus those that I hired from Europe, Africa and the UK. This is despite how much we spend per pupil at both the K-12 and post-secondary level. Although I already I had two bachelor’s degrees and an Executive MBA from Rockhurst, I wanted to better understand this phenomenon and pursue a terminal degree. Ultimately, I obtained both another master’s degree and a Ph.D. in psychology. Q: Can you tell us a little about your experience as a speaker on the topic of Black fatherhood, and what has been most impactful to you from this experience? A: The majority of my conference speaking on the topic of “Black Fatherhood” has centered on encouraging Black fathers from around the country to continue to do the wonderful work many of them are doing with their own children and in the communities where they reside, as well as eradicating the myth that Black fathers are not present. In fact, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, Black fathers were the most involved with children no matter if they lived with them or not. A greater percentage of Black fathers,
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when compared with white and Hispanic fathers, fed or ate meals with children daily, bathed, diapered or dressed children daily, played with children daily, and read to children daily (Education Equalizer Magazine: June 18, 2018). The study also proved that overall, American dads are more involved with child care than in years past. Q: Where does your passion for this work come from? A: Being a father was life changing for me, and my passion for this work stems from knowing the challenges that Black men, and more specifically Black fathers, face in America. Our challenges are different from other men and fathers, and have been since our ancestors arrived on these shores 400 years ago. Q: Your book “Color Him Father” gives voice to a group of Black fathers – including yourself – who have suffered the tragedy of losing of a child. Yet instead of being a tale of mourning, you aimed to make it a celebration of each man’s family and story. What was it like to tell these stories? A: Writing the book was an amazing journey as it chronicled the lives and relationships of six Black men, including myself, with their children. We actually started with 10 men, all of whom are close friends of mine. How ironic is it that I would know nine other Black fathers who had experienced something so devastating? In any event, two father friends simply were unable to recount their experience because the pain was too much. I understood this completely as it still hurts today, almost five years later. I believe it will always hurt.
