BFF: Black Father Figures

By Lorenzo Johnson

Who is your BFF?

There is a special breed of men out there who love and care for children that are not biologically their own. These men have no hidden agenda to gain notoriety or self-recognition; but their entire purpose and premise for life is to help young men and women reach their potential. You don’t always get it right, you won’t always do things the right way, but one thing remains constant: the intention of your heart. So, I challenge you to open the pages of this book and let your past sorrows gain resolutions and your future dreams and visions gain clarity and wings as you sprout into the man whom young children need in their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781638299448

Lorenzo Johnson

Lorenzo Johnson is a secondary school administrator whose passion is leadership, administration, and mentoring young people to become productive adults. His heart’s desire is to see people develop a love for Christ and to realize their God-given potential and destiny. He is a published author who co-wrote the popular thirty-day devotional journal Hope in Him. Myron Davis is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in elementary education (1998), an educational specialist degree (2007), and a doctoral degree in educational leadership (2012). He also earned an MBA degree from Webster University in 2001. Davis has over 20 years of education experience in Richland County School District One, Marion School District, Florence Public School District One, and Williamsburg County School District as a teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal, principal, and district administrator. He has also served in higher education and is the lead consultant for The Higher Standard Consulting Group. Leroy Wray, currently, is the teacher recruitment and retention liaison for the University of North Carolina at Asheville and an adjunct professor at several universities in North Carolina. Also, he is a board of directors for the North Carolina PTA and committee chair of Male Engagement. He has a vast array of experience as an educator of over 19 years, including experience as an elementary classroom teacher, school administrator, Title I coordinator, education and grant consultant, and president and founder of the Prodigal Son Foundation (www.psfnow.org). Leroy received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in education leadership and technology at North Carolina Central University and has currently finished his doctoral degree from Gardner Webb University in leadership and policy. Throughout his career, he has served and volunteered in many organizational boards, such as the Prodigal Son Foundation, YMCA, Wing Haven, Arts and Science Council’s CLT. Michael Marsh is a graduate of NC from A&T State University (BA in History, 2000), Westminster Theological Seminary (MA in Religion, 2002), and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (MAT, 2019 and PM Cert. in school administration, 2020). He is currently pursuing a doctor of education in educational leadership with a concentration on school administration from High Point University.

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About the Authors

Lorenzo Johnson is a secondary school administrator whose passion is leadership, administration, and mentoring young people to become productive adults. His heart’s desire is to see people develop a love for Christ and to realize their God-given potential and destiny. He is a published author who co-wrote the popular thirty-day devotional journal Hope in Him.

Myron Davis is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in elementary education (1998), an educational specialist degree (2007), and a doctoral degree in educational leadership (2012). He also earned an MBA degree from Webster University in 2001. Davis has over 20 years of education experience in Richland County School District One, Marion School District, Florence Public School District One, and Williamsburg County School District as a teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal, principal, and district administrator. He has also served in higher education and is the lead consultant for The Higher Standard Consulting Group.

Leroy Wray, currently, is the teacher recruitment and retention liaison for the University of North Carolina at Asheville and an adjunct professor at several universities in North Carolina. Also, he is a board of directors for the North Carolina PTA and committee chair of Male Engagement. He has a vast array of experience as an educator of over 19 years, including experience as an elementary classroom teacher, school administrator, Title I coordinator, education and grant consultant, and president and founder of the Prodigal Son Foundation (www.psfnow.org). Leroy received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in education leadership and technology at North Carolina Central University and has currently finished his doctoral degree from Gardner Webb University in leadership and policy. Throughout his career, he has served and volunteered in many organizational boards, such as the Prodigal Son Foundation, YMCA, Wing Haven, Arts and Science Council’s CLT.

Michael Marsh is a graduate of NC from A&T State University (BA in History, 2000), Westminster Theological Seminary (MA in Religion, 2002), and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (MAT, 2019 and PM Cert. in school administration, 2020). He is currently pursuing a doctor of education in educational leadership with a concentration on school administration from High Point University.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the men everywhere across this nation, especially men of color, who step up to the plate every day and provide structure, love, and support to children who may biologically belong to them, and to those who may not be a part of their bloodline. Your efforts are not unnoticed! Continue to be the 21st Century and beyond role models that our younger generation need.

Copyright Information ©

Lorenzo Johnson and Myron Davis and Leroy Wray and Michael Marsh 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Johnson, Lorenzo; Davis, Myron; Wray, Leroy; Marsh, Michael

BFF: Black Father Figures

ISBN 9781638299431 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781638299448 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023903611

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

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Book Description

Myron Davis, EdD

Dr. Davis is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in Elementary Education (1998), an Educational Specialist Degree (2007), and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership (2012). He also earned an MBA from Webster University in 2001. Dr. Davis has over 20 years of education experience in Richland County School District One, Marion School District, Florence Public School District One, and Williamsburg County School District, either as a teacher, literacy coach, assistant-principal, principal, or district-administrator. He has also served in higher education and is the Lead Consultant for The Higher Standard Consulting Group.

Lorenzo Johnson, EdD

Dr. Johnson is the Chief Operating Officer of WJ Consulting, LLC. As COO, Dr. Johnson introduces Leadership Frameworks and Organizational Development strategies to K-12 district administrators and executive leaders for various corporations throughout the United States of America. Dr. Johnson provides human resource consulting to agencies to strategize retention and recruiting efforts.

Dr. Johnson has appeared on various radio and media segments providing his knowledge on leadership strategies and how to support and encourage racial equity. He began his career teaching elementary education in rural and high-poverty inner city schools for more than eight years. It was during this time that Dr. Johnson received his National Board Certification in Early Middle Grades Literary. Dr. Johnson held various administration roles within large urban school districts, where he gained a passion for ensuring all students were respected and included. He has worked with teachers and administrators in various counties and states, and has provided expertise and leadership for district level Beginning Teacher Programs and human resources.

Dr. Johnson earned his Doctorate of Educational Leadership from Wingate University and his Master’s of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education from Pfeiffer University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University