Charles C. Daniels Jr. Is Fixing Absentee Fatherhood By Helping Fathers
Today’s CrowdUltra Speaker of the Day is Charles C. Daniels Jr.. Charles is the Co-Founder and CEO of
Fathers’ UpLift, the first mental health and substance abuse treatment program for fathers and families. He speaks on how fathers can
better connect with their kids, has taught at Harvard University and Simmons University, as well as appeared on numerous television and radio programs including
CNN, ABC, and Good Morning America.
Charles was born in Atlanta Georgia and grew up without a father. Even though he had a loving mother, he experienced the common negative emotions and reactions that
come with being raised without a father in the home. He eventually came to realize the issues he personally faced derived from his lack of a father in the home and not
having a relationship with him. With those realizations also came the understanding that he was not responsible for his father’s absence either. This motivated Daniels
to seek out and find his father, along with leading him to his life’s purpose.
Charles spent time working at the
Boston Public Health Commission Men’s Health and Recovery Program as
a substance abuse clinician and oversaw a small shelter for displaced youth in Jonesboro, Georgia. Through the time spent reflecting on his own life, finding his
father, and experiencing other people’s lives at work, he determined what the real problem behind most absentee fathers is. He figured out that not only his father
but also many other fathers not in their children’s lives experienced issues from their past hindering their ability to be a father that they must overcome.
This sparked creating Fathers’ UpLift with his wife Samantha, an organization that provides mental health counseling, coaching, advocacy, and resource support to
assist fathers. Their goal is to help fathers around the world overcome emotional, traumatic, and addiction-based barriers preventing them from remaining engaged
in their children's lives. So far they have uplifted over 11,000 fathers and families, as well as trained more than 3,000 social workers and mental health professionals.
When Charles graces the stage he discusses his life, what he learned about fatherhood, and what can be done to resolve the issue of more than 10 million children
seeing their fathers less than once a month. His stage presence is captivating, with no fear in being vulnerable, honest, and impactful with his speaking. A quote
from his recent TED talk speaks to Daniels’ message:
“Fathers that have been absent, regardless of their past mistakes, deserve a lifeline. And if we are deserving, so are the ones who have lost their way.
Think about the people who loved you when you lost your way. Who huged you when you needed it. Who assumed best intention. Who validated you. And embraced you even
when you felt undeserving. Whoever came to mind, try, just try and be that to someone else.”
You can view his whole TED Talk below and contact Charles to speak at your occasion here. To learn more about
how CrowdUltra can enhance any speaking occasion, please click here and here.
