A group of Black dads is being hailed for their significant impact on a Louisiana high school.
After 23 students were arrested for fighting at Southwood High School in a matter of three days last month, a group of Black fathers banded together to do something about the violence.
They formed the Dads on Duty, a group of about 40 fathers who work in shifts to greet students at the Shreveport high school in the mornings, help monitor hallways, and overall bring a more positive vibe to the learning environment.
Students say it's working and the numbers are proving to be true –– according to CBS, there hasn't been a single fight since the dads started taking up the volunteer roles.
"We're dads. We decided the best people who can take care of our kids are who? Are us," Michael LaFitte, who founded the group, told the outlet.
Students said they feel safer as a result of the parents' actions and are enjoying the many dad jokes.
"I immediately felt a form of safety," one student shared. "We stopped fighting; people started going to class."
"They just make funny jokes like, 'Oh, hey, your shoe is untied,' but it's really not united," a student added.
"They hate it! They're so embarrassed by it," LaFitte said of the dad jokes.
Overall, the school environment has been "happy," a student said. "You can feel it."
"Because not everybody has a father figure at home –– or a male, period, in their life. So just to be here makes a big difference," the dads said.
The dads are planning to stay at Southwood indefinitely, and are hoping to build new chapters across the state of Louisiana and eventually nationwide.
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