A Dad and his daughter's
Eugene Partridge III
“My family: A god-fearing, fun, loving, forward thinking group of individuals who believe anything is possible.”
A while back we had the pleasure of photographing Eugene, his beautiful wife Lakeisha and their three girls. We were commissioned to capture images for his anticipated book titled "Daughter's & Daddies - The Investment That Matters". We were so captivated by his story and purpose behind the book that we just had to learn more. Here's his story:
"I knew in my early 20's that I was supposed to do something of substance in the realm of fatherhood. Experiencing the tragic and sudden loss of two great fathers propelled the writing of this book during that time. When you go through losing strong father figures in your life it does something to you. My relationship with my father and my father-in-law were cornerstones of this book. Their examples impacted me so much that i wanted to be a model father for my children. Many of the concepts I speak of were learned by watching these great men raise their families. The construct of my family provides a unique perspective on the subject of fatherhood; especially the importance of a strong relationship between a father and his daughter. I love to tell stories about my family's experiences and share our growth with the world. With so many stereotypes of black men in general, we need positive, alternative examples of those stereotypes. I want to encourage other fathers to operate to their full capacity in their roles."
It is clear where Eugene's heart of gold comes from when he talks about family. His father, Eugene Jr, was a disabled Vietnam Veteran who coached virtually every team Eugene played on. Fully invested and never missed a game, his father did everything he could to make sure his children succeeded. Renee, Eugene's mother, is a breast cancer survivor and another huge inspiration. Eugene says she is one of the most optimistic women he knows and the embodiment of excellence and work ethic. Both his parents along side people like Steve Harvey, Bill Winston, T.D. Jakes and former president Barack Obama have been strong influences in his life.
Everyone knows behind a great man is an incredible woman, or at least we do anyways :). Naturally, we had to find out more about the woman that made this beautiful family possible..
"My wife and I actually met in a church service. Our circles were familiar with one another but we didn't have much interaction up until that point. I saw a gorgeous woman that I was familiar with but didn't really know. After church I asked her if she wanted to grab a bite to eat with a few friends and she said yes. We talked the whole evening and the rest is history."
Eugene and Lakeisha married at the young ages of 23 and 22. They both wanted to settle down at a relatively young age. A few short weeks, three to be exact, into their marriage they found out Lakeisha was pregnant thus beginning their amazing journey as parents. Eugene says his wife is "A constant support and the greatest wife in the world."
Finding themselves with three young girls has its challenges and rewards. Eugene tells us,
“The most challenging part of raising girls is what I’ll call the management of emotions. This may need to be a book all by itself. They have a constant, non-stop desire for closeness and for some men, this is very uncomfortable, the most rewarding part of raising girls is how much they are amazed by their fathers. I could write the worst song and they’ll call it a hit. I could tell the worst joke and they will fall out laughing. It’s like I can do no wrong. There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing Daddy, Daddy, Daddy when I walk in the door after work.”
He also highlighted on a common misconception of Dad's - " I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that Dads don't or can't get overwhelmed. Often times we are viewed as the rock or the beacon of strength for the family. When things go haywire we are often the stabilizers. That can be taxing sometimes. Dads need to hear their doing a good job. Dads need to know their hard work is appreciated."
We wanted to finish our interview with Eugene talking about his hopes for the book and also for his legacy:
“I measure the success of this book not by the amount of books sold, but by the amount of people that say “we need this conversation”. I want to leave in the hearts of people that fathers are critical to the future success of their children. Over 20 million children in the U.S. live in homes without the physical presence of a father. My goal is to inspire fathers to take their position so seriously that nothing will cause them to be separated from their children. I want to encourage the fathers that are around to rise up. I want my girls to be most proud that I was a God-Fearing man, who loved his wife & kids, and worked as hard as he possibly could to give them the best life he could provide. If I can be remembered for those things, I will have lived a fulfilled life.”
We are so excited to watch Eugene's journey and success with his book. Make sure to show your support and buy his book which releases tomorrow, March 21st.
