The Exemplary Manhood of Frontline Dads 

By Tyson Waters

Unlike most organizations, the idea for Frontline Dads was born in a prison. Founder and Executive Director Reuben Jones was incarcerated when he had an epiphany: in 1994, after serving seven years, Jones and a few other inmates took up Minister Louis Farrakhan’s challenge to better their lives. Jones quit harmful habits like smoking and immersed himself in literature, but his most transformative moment arrived when he joined a parenting group.

After learning about the struggles fellow inmates faced due to their disconnection from their children and families, Jones and a few other inmates started to spend free periods brainstorming ways to reconcile lost time with loved ones. He names this experience as a crucial one in mending his relationship with his own son. Jones soon became a pioneer for programs benefiting incarcerated men, fostering relationships with local poets and public speakers to breathe positivity back into their environments–all from behind bars.

For Reuben, this was only the beginning; when he came home, he started a mentoring group to reconnect children with their incarcerated parents. His team mentally prepared the child and parent for reconciliation in an effort to avoid broken homes and relationships. 

Today, Jones is a well-known community activist in Philadelphia. Using his Master’s degree in Human Services as a clinical therapist, he works relentlessly to de-stigmatize negative narratives in the black and brown community. What started as a few community groups is now a full-fledged nonprofit organization that offers mentoring, youth development, and support groups to Philadelphia’s families. “We have a violence prevention group, a mentoring/leadership and development group, parenting groups, and more. All of them play crucial roles in bringing the community back together,” said Jones. 

In Philadelphia, where gun violence is a prevalent issue, Jones and his team mentor teens and men in their early twenties about gun violence awareness. They have heart-to-heart talks, allowing a safe space for vulnerability, and learn from formerly incarcerated individuals to prevent future harm and loss of life. To put this into perspective, in 2023, the city recorded 410 homicides. As astonishing as that is, the number dropped from 560 homicides in 2022 and is the lowest recorded count since 2020. 

Putting the ‘men’ in mentorship 

In 2016, Former President Barack Obama awarded Frontline Dads the Presidential Service Award for their commitment and dedication to the city’s positive growth. Beyond their immediate commitment to the families and reentry experiences of formerly incarcerated Philadelphians, Frontline Dads advocates for quality education in urban neighborhoods, affordable housing, and criminal justice reform. The organization consistently finds new ways to meet community needs, recently promoting free legal clinics, food banks, and school-safe passages. Frontline Dads also offers diversion programs for first-time offenders, providing the opportunity for a clean record after program completion. 

Jones often reminisces about young people on the verge of going down the wrong path, returning to express gratitude after mentorship: “There’s always kids that come back and say ‘You’ve made an impact on my life.’” He happily recalls mentees who became entrepreneurs, worked for the Philadelphia City Council, and pursued other meaningful career paths. “When we see young people thriving, knowing we played a small yet significant role in that, that’s truly our biggest accomplishment,” said Jones.

A leader by example, Jones’ personality and drive are described as ‘infectious’ by current mentees and friends. Rob Hudson is a mentee who attributes his success to being a part of Jones’ tree: “He [doesn’t] preach to you. He sets that example. That example set a pattern for me. I tried to do the things I [saw] him do, especially as a father,” said Hudson. Seeing Jones redevelop his relationship with his son and refocus his life towards success was exactly what Hudson needed to change. “[He] gave me a platform and an identity that gave me purpose in life. Had I not had Reuben, I don’t know where I’d be,” he confessed.

Longtime friend and organizing partner Wali Smith recalled a time when Jones’ infectious personality positively impacted two young students. “We got a call…to step in and intervene in a situation in which a student was being bullied by two other students,” Smith explained. “Getting the parents involved, we were able to settle the conflict and even get the students to join Frontline Dads. They became friends, and we were able to help them blossom positively. No money can afford the feeling we received from helping these young men succeed [in life].” 

Changing narratives, healing communities 

Despite his success, Jones emphasizes that his biggest battle is against the media and biased portrayals of the men of Frontline Dads. “The media distorts the image of the black man. [It has the capability to] turn us into the ‘Boogey Man.’” Stereotypes depicting men of color as violent and ‘deadbeats’ plague the streets of urban neighborhoods, subconsciously reinforcing ideologies that keep hearts filled with hate and families separated. 

For an organization like Frontline Dads, battling these narratives is as much of a priority as the work itself; the programs and activities that Jones and his organization partake in are attempts at educating journalists on issues that impact people of color and providing new images of black masculinity and fatherhood. In order to support the communities of Philadelphia, media coverage needs to reinforce positive messages. 

So, what does it mean to be a Frontline Dad? Jones describes it as “exemplary manhood,” a recurring phrase taught to mentees. “You don’t have to be a biological father to be a dad,” he emphasizes. “We come from communities where we believe in taking a village to raise a child.” 

Jones prides his organization on its ability to model the cardinal principles of accountability and intention. Safe, healthy environments are needed so children can be given the security to flourish; community trauma takes community healing. This requires parents, neighbors, teachers, community members, and lawmakers to play an integral part. 

As impact leaders, Frontline Dads try to meet the physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs of the Philadelphia community. In any way that they can ease the struggle, they are on the front lines, ready to serve.