When he鈥檚 not running his upscale men鈥檚 clothing business in Shreveport, Louisiana, or leading the local NAACP chapter, he鈥檚 鈥渙n duty鈥� at Southwood High School, leading a group of about 40 concerned fathers who鈥檝e kept watch on campus after a spate of gang fights sparked the arrests of 23 students this fall.

He鈥檚 frequently 鈥渞unning into a meeting鈥� about launching Dads on Duty USA as a nonprofit to help other schools and districts that want to follow their example. 

鈥淚鈥檓 one of those guys that when I jump on board on something, I鈥檓 all the way in,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ight now, I need to be all the way in on Dads on Duty.鈥�

He鈥檚 poring over the fine print in the group鈥檚 comprehensive plan and juggling calls from school officials, Congressional staffers and even representatives of actor Will Smith 鈥� all drawn to the story of how the fathers鈥� strong presence at the school prevented further violence. Last month, Smith paid roughly $24,000 to send Southwood鈥檚 1,400 students to of 鈥淜ing Richard,鈥� his film about Shreveport native Richard Williams, father of tennis greats Venus and Serena. 

This is fantastic!!

– Will Smith

鈥� Will Smith (@RealWillSmithFP)

The dads鈥� work has drawn praise from diverse voices, from charter school superintendent and podcaster Ray Ankrum 鈥� who started a Twitter thread celebrating Black fathers 鈥� to conservative Congressman Josh Hawley of Missouri, who how the dads 鈥渃hanged the atmosphere of an entire campus.鈥� The Southwood fathers are now fielding requests from over 100 schools and colleges across the country, while still maintaining their daily shift rotation at the school.

Their story resonates with 鈥渟o many because of the negative tropes associated with Black dads not being involved in the lives of their children,鈥� Ankrum said in an email. 鈥淚t made me proud to know that the work that Black dads do under the radar is finally receiving acknowledgment.鈥�

Black dads, let鈥檚 kill the internet as well as dispel the negative tropes associate with Black fatherhood. I challenge you to post a pic that shows your involvement either w/ your kids or other people鈥檚 kids. I鈥檒l start.

鈥� Mr. Ankrum (He/Him/His) Ray Reddington (@Mr_Ankrum)

鈥楬ow we got in鈥�

The fathers might not have gotten very far if Principal Kim Pendleton hadn鈥檛 welcomed their assistance. They met with her on Sunday, Sept. 19, troubled by fights that had gotten out of control. 

鈥淲e were boots on the ground that next day,鈥� La鈥橣itte said. 鈥淥ur boots have not left.鈥�

Craig Lee, a community organizer and city council candidate, is advising the group as it expands nationally. He鈥檚 enlisting the support of the broader community, including clergy, business leaders and alumni of the school. 

鈥淵ou have to get into the mind of a potential criminal before he or she commits a crime and show them a different way,鈥� Lee said.

He suggests that one reason the program has been effective is that the fathers were already involved at the school. One ran the band boosters. Another often bought pizzas for the football team. 鈥淭he way this thing jumped off was based on the relationships that these fathers have with the principal. That鈥檚 how we got in.鈥�

He said he was contacted by a Southwood staff member who was concerned about escalating gang tensions on campus. He wanted La鈥橣itte, who has a daughter in 11th grade at the school, to take the lead on the community鈥檚 response because he already knew other parents at the school.

The fathers 鈥� truck drivers and construction workers, chefs and financial advisers  鈥� greet students as they come and go and talk to them about alternatives to gang culture. They want students involved in the arts and youth entrepreneurship. They plan to bring tutoring and conflict resolution programs to the school, Lee said. But there are some things they won鈥檛 do.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 break up fights,鈥� La鈥橣itte said. 鈥淥ur men are instructed: 鈥榊ou put your hands in your pockets and you step back.鈥欌��

The dads haven鈥檛 been able to prevent all incidents. In mid-November, one girl hit another with .

Lee said some of the dads were actually in Las Vegas at the time, making a presentation about their program. Besides, the incident took place in a classroom, which doesn鈥檛 fall under the dads鈥� purview, Pendleton said.

Charnae McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Caddo Parish Public Schools, which includes Southwood, described the incident as isolated and said there have not been any large fights since the dads got involved. During the initial wave of violence, the district assigned two resource officers to the school. They鈥檝e since dropped it back to one.

The district, she said, is now developing a training process, including background checks to screen potential volunteers, for other schools in the district that want to start their own Dads on Duty program.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just put a group together and think it was going to work,鈥� Pendleton said. 鈥淣ow we鈥檝e got the kids accustomed to the dads being with us, so let鈥檚 get to work.鈥�

Since the dads got involved, La鈥橣itte said he has talked to two of the students who were part of the that saw 14 students led away in handcuffs.

They apologized, but he told them there was no need. He remembers what it was like to be a 鈥渢eenager who knows everything about nothing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey yearn for adults who will treat them with respect.鈥�

鈥楰nock down the barriers鈥� 

Dads are often looking for respect from schools, too, said Eric Snow. He co-founded WatchDOGS (Dads of Great Students), a K-12 program for fathers in roughly 6,500 schools in 47 states. 

鈥淪chools would always say, 鈥楶arents, parents, parents,鈥� but only the moms show up,鈥� said Snow. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to knock down the barriers that keep those dads from coming in.鈥�

The program, based in Springdale, Arkansas, was a response to the 1998 across the state in a Jonesboro middle school, in which four students and one teacher were killed.

鈥淚t really rocked us. It was the year before Columbine,鈥� said Snow, who had children in elementary school at the time. 

Schools that participate in WatchDOGS have one or two fathers on campus each day. They help direct cars and students during morning drop-offs, lead games during lunch and recess, read to students and provide 鈥渆xtra eyes and ears to enhance school security,鈥� Snow said.

鈥淭here are a lot of men like these dads down in Louisiana. All you鈥檝e got to do is give them an opportunity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f these guys are visible and present, it just changes the dynamics.鈥�

Las Vegas nonprofit will be Dads on Duty USA鈥檚 first official affiliate chapter, Lee said. But there are also schools across the country emulating the idea. In recent weeks, schools in , Kansas, and have added similar programs.

Shirelle Dowdell, principal of Henninger High School in Syracuse, New York, is among those who have been inspired to get students鈥� dads involved. In September, shut down for a day after fights erupted during an evacuation prompted by a student setting off the fire alarm. 

鈥淲e have been thinking of implementing something like this for a while. Mrs. Dowdell sent me the video of Shreveport and said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go,鈥欌�� said Kim Goodman, community school coordinator at Henninger. She works for Peaceful Schools, an organization that runs enrichment and social-emotional learning programs. 鈥淲e have serious challenges facing youth today and the accountability that comes with family involvement in school is a clear step to meeting these obstacles head on.鈥�

While the Southwood High fathers have received national attention for their efforts, La鈥橣itte said at least one person at the school isn鈥檛 thrilled about their involvement.

鈥淪he just has to accept it,鈥� La鈥橣itte said of his daughter. 鈥淲ho really wants their dad at the school every single day?鈥�