Knowledge is Power

As the country watched the extensive custody battle waged by David Goldman and his supporters to get his son Sean back in the United States from the Brazilian government and his deceased wife’s family, fathers of color continue to wage similar battles right here in the United States.

Many of these fathers can barely afford the gas to travel the miles even within the same state to attend the endless hearings, psychological assessments, attorney briefings and other legal wrangling that impedes their primary objective to maintain contact with their children.

Unfortunately, the research has shown a devastating rise in parental alienation cases with women in the majority, who use their children as pawns to punish the fathers. In many of these cases, the fathers, especially Black fathers, do not have deep financial pockets and are often charged with custody payments and still denied visitations and forced to pay the legal fees for their former spouses too despite making less income in some cases.

It often seems that the courts are biased and assist one side in draining the other while playing favorites with the child as the sacrifice. Previously, we noted a report by ChildrensJustice.org that stated that four in 10 mothers admitted that they interfered with the father’s visitation at least one time to punish him and almost 50 percent of the mothers saw “no value” in custody rights of fathers.

Because of this alarming trend and the increased awareness of the important role that fathers have in the productive development of their children, a number of states are looking into legislation that would allow children to have more say in their parental choice early on to reduce the levels of intimidation and alienation that keeps unhappy and divided couples fighting each other in the court rooms versus being nurturing, separated parents focused on their children. Meanwhile, Black fathers have few outlets to tell their stories.

We followed the progress of one such father who was in the early stages of what he was told would be a long process. Toby Brooks, a distribution employee living in Houston, revolves his entire life around his children. His youngest child is the innocent victim in the pending divorce proceedings and the lack of access continues to bother Brooks.

“I still do not understand how fathers like me, who want to be with our children, are (treated) this way,” Brooks adds. “I have only had phone contact and that has been limited and there are attitudes that I am sure my son is being exposed to that are not favorable regarding me. That is just not right.”

The decision to proceed with the divorce became clear to Brooks because the circumstances were not changing regarding the treatment of his oldest child from a previous relationship. “Staying was no longer an option because the situation was only getting worse. I felt that a clean break would be in everyone’s best interests so that we did not have to worry about not making it as a couple, but we could just be good parents. Unfortunately, I cannot see my youngest son nor can the two brothers continue the bonding that they need with me and each other.”

Brooks is now focused on doing what needs to be done to gain access to his son and shares a hard learned lesson for others who want to become parents, especially fathers. “Know who you are planning to start a family with because it can make a big difference when things do not work out, especially with Black fathers who have so many negative stereotypes out there.” Brooks notes. “Be sure to keep all the proof of your support and activities so your case is sound because it is time consuming and expensive.”

Black fathers continue to face an uphill battle right in the United States for custody and visitation rights. Without media outreach and financial resources, many Black fathers lose the battle because the system has drained what little they did have and then labels them “deadbeats.”

This is not to say that all fathers step up to their responsibilities or that all estranged mothers are alienating their children. This just speaks to the need for more oversight within the family court system to provide equitable, judicial intervention to give active Black fathers, who are stepping up, a helping hand based on understanding versus the systematic “smack down” based on one-sided and misleading stereotypes.

Meta J. Mereday is a writer for ; Regal Black Mens Magazine The publication focuses on ; African American Community News Politics Sports Health The magazine features a ; Local Online Classifieds & Job Classified Black Business Directory Visit to read about ; Black fathers

As you sit down at your computer to write free travel articles, does your heart ever sink at the thought of having to find yet another 600 words worth of things to write about for the same place? Sometimes it might seem as though there’s only so many things that you can say about one holiday destination. So where do you get enough ideas from to keep writing?

Personal Experience

What better resource to draw from when writing free travel articles, than your own personal experience. There’s no better way to write enthusiastically, than to write about somewhere you’ve visited before, or perhaps even somewhere you’ve had the trip of a lifetime. Not only can you be sure of your suggestions and your advice, but you can handpick those suggestions from a medley of memories. But be sure not to get too nostalgic, or you’ll be on the next plane back there yourself! There’s no denying that the easiest destinations to write about are the ones that you’ve been to yourself.

Other People’s Experience

In the same way that your most informed writing will come from your own travels, so will other peoples. That is why there are so many thousands of blogs out there, written either on or after a holiday, that are simply bursting with information. It’s true, sometimes these blogs just tell stories such as ‘we got up and went to the beach.’ However, many of them will go into much greater detail, telling you exactly which Italian restaurant served the best pasta they’ve ever eaten, which area of the beach was the most deserted, or which cove to snorkel in order to see the most exciting sea life. These are exactly the kinds of ideas you need when writing free travel articles, so be sure to include some blogs in your research.

The Expert’s Experience

Who better to tell you about a holiday destination, than the people who want to take you there? The websites of travel companies can be a fantastic place to find ideas for free travel articles. Though they can only inform you of the accommodation or holidays that they themselves offer, they may include itineraries or activities that provide perfect subject matter for your writing. So long as you keep in mind that these people are trying to sell you a destination rather than provide you with information you can use to write about it, there are plenty of ideas to be found on their websites.

The Slightly More Objective Expert’s Experience

Personal experience and word of mouth are great tools to use when coming up with ideas for free travel articles, but nobody could ever tell you as much about a holiday destination as the tourist board themselves. Experts on their own locations, these are the people with the real knowledge. Providing information on everything from accommodation, transport, and activities, to maps, inoculation advice and weather forecasts, this really is the best place to find out the facts and get some ideas.

So, next time you sit down to write, remember that ideas for free travel articles can come from a variety of sources. The more you use, the more ideas you have and the more detailed the information in your article can be.

Julietta Henderson is a regular contributor to article directories, and specialises in writing free travel articles relating to travel and holiday destinations.

When you’re in the business of writing, presuming you’re good, there are many places you can showcase your work. Many directories (like ezine.com) which offer free travel articles accept submissions from writers who can demonstrate a competency in writing and a good, readable style. But what exactly is style and is any one writing style better than another? In terms of free travel articles spreading across the internet (and this is after all why we write them), research shows that there’s a place for virtually every style; funny, controversial, informative, celebrity based and even ghostly angles all seem to spread equally well.

So just who are these writers, toiling in their attics over hot computers to produce free travel articles?

The Painstaking Researcher

This writer is the one who produces beautifully researched, factual and informative articles leaving no stone unturned. Their writing will go into the minutiae of the weather, the attractions and every possible aspect of a particular travel destination. No matter that they are writing free travel articles, this scribe will pay attention to even the finest details. These articles spread well because of their comprehensive content, and will often be picked up by other travel related sites or tour operators.

The Frustrated Stand-Up Comedian

A writer who produces articles with a humorous slant has the advantage of being able to entertain the reader as well as inform them. You may think writing free travel articles would not leave much scope for knock-knock jokes, but the clever writer knows how to weave humour into even the most staid holiday destination. Wouldn’t you be tempted to read ‘Packing for a Nudist Holiday’, ‘Going Abroad with a Broad’, or ‘How to Have Fun at the Beach with a Broken Leg’? You get the picture – it may not be side-splittingly funny, but you’ll get a bit of light relief from this writer’s articles.

The Star-Struck Celebrity Hound

Do you know where Paris Hilton spent her summer or where Barrack Obama took his family skiing last year? This writer does. And whether the talk of celebrities makes you want to sit up and take notice, or it takes you on a one way trip to yawn city, the fact is that these free travel articles spread. It seems the cult of celebrity is alive and well and this writer will pounce on any snippet of a destination’s brush with fame and capitalise on it in an article. Celebrity endorsements can make or break a holiday location, and writing about the ‘wheres’ and ‘whys’ of the ‘who’s who’ can pay dividends for our celebrity spy.

The Imaginative Traveller

If you look deep enough there’s a skeleton in every closet and a ghost around every corner; and this writer knows it! They love finding the unusual in the every day and will conjure up stories of hauntings, legends and mysteries for every free travel article they write. Who knew there was an underground ghost in Ganzhou, or a wicked witch of West Wyoming? The writer obsessed with tales from the ‘other side’ can find an eerie angle for any destination in the world and, for those who dare, it just makes the prospect of their haunted holiday all the more fun!

Julietta Henderson is a regular contributor to article directories, and specialises in writing free travel articles relating to travel and holiday destinations.