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Our Projects
Empowering ~ Revitalizing ~ Connecting
Annual Fathers Day Celebration June 19, 2021
This year fathers event was the first of its kind in about 20 years to be held at the Browns Woods Park. With the help of Ms. Monica Johnson, Ms. Nanette Williams, and Adetola Ajayi this event was very special. Empowering, Celebrating, and Recognizing fathers for their hardwork.
Annual Fathers Day Celebration
June 19, 2022
This year the committee was form. The committe consist of D.J. Hunt Tyrone Johnson, Gerry Jackson, Walt Johnson, Melvin Thomas, C.J. Gross, Brandon Williams, Devon Edwards, and Brandon Johnson. The event exceeded our expectations with about 300 people in attendance. It was a time for family, Friends and LOVE.
Keynote Speaker : Kenyatta Rowel "Why Are Black Fathers Neccesary."
AFDF & Bea Gaddy Foundation November 24, 2022
This year for Thanksgiving AFDF wanted to do something a little different this year. So before we set down and enjoyed dinner with our family and love ones. We thought about the less fortunate. We team up with the Bea Gaddy Family Center and volunteered our services. We were assigned to pick up hot meals and deliver to various senior citizens homes throughout the city of Baltimore. The experience is something we will forever take with us, and we are looking forward to doing more of this kind of work. Thank you to the good folk at Bea Gaddy Family Center for letting us be apart.
Celebrating the Presence and Revitalizing the Past with AFDF
Hitting that hard left around the corner store onto Browns Woods Road in Annapolis always evokes a special feeling as my older brother and I were fortunate enough to be cared for by the many amazing women within this unique community. Realizing the pressures of development which have disrupted the original landscape throughout the Broadneck Peninsula, I cherish places that still seem to maintain an ode to the vivid memories I hold dear from my childhood. One memory I have is arriving at the Ball Diamond, a.k.a. Brownwoods Park. I recall the distinct faces of people who greeted me and proceeded to reminisce on the past baseball games we played and then current events at the 2nd Annual Father's Day Event. My family and I attended the Annual Fathers Day Event hosted by the Annual Father Day Foundation (AFDF) in June 2022. It was hard to believe that it had been over a decade since I had touched this hallowed ground.
At the community turnout of over 200 people feelings of joy and appreciation adorned all fathers in attendance as evidenced by the sounds of vibrant music, contagious laughter and playful children underfoot. I immediately wanted to know more about how this event was created. I would soon learn that it was the second of its kind and the brainchild of Devon Edwards, someone who has very deep familial ties to the Brownswood area. The 2nd annual AFDF had a variety of activities, guests, vendors, and funds for the youth. It also had a youth versus adults basketball game, car show, free food and even snowballs!
After serving six years for our Nation in active military duty, Devon decided to return back to Annapolis, the place that helped him pass through a rite of passage. It was here he flourished by becoming a father, a homeowner and college graduate. As an insightful veteran, he introspectively sought meaningful ways to highlight how his friends and family were apologetically embracing fatherhood while at times navigating modern complexities with old school simplicity.
Devon found unequivocal unity each time he witnessed his brothers playing active, contributing roles within their communities, from coaching, to mentoring, to entrepreneurship. It was from these interactions and from being a full time parent, that he began the AFDF. Devon later partnered with Randy "Kenyatta" Rowel Jr., to further develop the non-profit organization's vision of solidifying pride, honesty, and authenticity among the fathers of our community. AFDF is a collaborative of fathers, community members, faith based organizations, and partners, with an effort to first unify fathers from the Broadneck Peninsula so that they can connect with each other and then learn about their common history, familial roots, and traditional culture.
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AFDF Vision
AFDF envisions a world where communities and human service organizations are father-inclusive, ensuring every child has an involved, responsible, and committed father. With a strong sense of pride, honesty, and authenticity, AFDF empowers fathers and their families by providing the best resources for their upliftment.
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