Employed qualitative methods to examine the role of the family in the academic success of very high-achieving African American males. Findings revealed a complex tapestry of family processes and contexts involved in each youth's journey to outstanding academic achievement. Specifically, the combined importance of parental-determined academic engagement, strict discipline, nurturance, and community connectedness appeared to counteract potentially negative contextual influences of neighborhood, peers, schools, and society. The qualitative findings tell a multifaceted, rich, and compelling story of the pathways to academic success for Black males, and highlight the need for culture-specific and ecologically based conceptualization, research, and intervention approaches.

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As the number of single fathers raising children alone grows, increased demands are placed on mental health practitioners to meet their needs. A significant portion of single fathers with custody feel uncomfortable in their role. A 1987–88 survey of 1,132 single fathers is used to identify the characteristics of those fathers who are potentially at risk for problems related to feeling uncomfortable in their role. Implications for work with this population are discussed.

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