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The joy of fatherhood: Helpful tips for fathers and men who want to become fathers
by Morris Turner
Family and friends who traveled from as far away as the Sierra Foothills and the San Francisco Peninsula were brought together in celebrating what was to be an upcoming birth forged by the union of Nicole Penney and Derrell Lewis.
On Aug. 8, the family to be was honored by their parents, siblings, extended family members and a host of friends at a gathering at Sunrise Park in Rohnert Park, California. As Derrell and Nicole, aka Lady P”, both well known North Bay spoken word artists, made their way through the crowd, old school hits played in the background as folks enjoyed good eats and shared stories, laughs and occasional bragging rights.
And finally, the blessed event has taken place. On Sept. 15, their beautiful son Amir, who took his sweet time getting here – 10 days late – was born. These two longtime friends, equally yoked in their demonstrated love and support for one another, are evidence that the future of our village is in good hands.
Morris Turner, the father of two sons, ages 39 and 35, was a community worker with the Black Panther Party. Over the past 45 years he has worked with children and young people in a variety of settings, including as preschool teacher, career counselor, family mentor and sports coach. He is also an author and recognized researcher in the area of African American settlement in the United States, but his greatest pleasure today is learning to be a good grandpa. He can be reached at missnpages@comcast.net.
