Think about the man who had the most impact on who you are. Maybe it was your dad. Maybe it was a coach who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself. An uncle who picked up the phone. An older brother who just stayed. A mentor who told you the truth when no one else would.
Father’s Day is for all of them—the fathers and father figures in our lives who shaped who we are and how we see the world. Here are fourTEDx Talks that honor the full breadth of what it means to be that person for someone else, and how we can appreciate and honor them this Father’s Day.
To Build Strong Father-Son Bonds, Break Generational Patterns — Rob Hardy, TEDxAtlanta
Atlanta’s own Rob Hardy, the acclaimed director and executive producer behind Power Book III: Raising Kanan, All American, and The Quad, isn’t just a storyteller on screen. In this deeply personal TEDxAtlanta talk, he gets candid about his own journey as a son of a hard-working, divorced dad and eventually becoming a father himself, confronting the generational patterns he inherited and choosing to break them for the sake of his sons. It’s a reminder that intentional parenting isn’t just about being present or providing essentials; it’s about learning from your past, while seeing the reality of the present, and being transformed to create a better future. Watch the Talk here.
What I’ve Learned About Parenting as a Stay-at-Home Dad — Glen Henry, TEDxMidAtlantic
Glen Henry left a career in music after realizing that the biggest stage he’d ever stand on was his living room, and his biggest and most devoted fans were his kids. What followed was one of the most honest, hilarious, and heart-expanding talks about fatherhood and being a stay-at-home dad that you’ll ever watch. His main takeaway? As parents, we’re all in this together, and learning everyday. And just like attendance matters to success in a classroom, presence in the home with your kids is crucially necessary as a dad. Watch the Talk here.
Fatherhood Can Change the World — Ned Schaut, TEDx
What if the missing piece to a better world has been in our homes the whole time? Ned Schaut makes a compelling case that engaged, active fatherhood isn’t just good for families, but a force multiplier for communities, economies, and generations yet to come. This Talk is bold, hopeful, and worth every minute. Watch the Talk here.
The Father Wound – Otto Kelly, TEDxCarsonCity
Former NFL player, pastor, and founder of the Daddy Academy Otto Kelly argues that fatherlessness is at the root of nearly every major social ill, from teen pregnancy to incarceration. Drawing from his own experience of losing his dad in middle school, he makes a powerful case that you can heal your own father wound by fathering others, whether you’re a biological dad or not. It’s a call to every man in the room to be the father figure someone around them desperately needs. Watch the Talk here.
We want to wish a very Happy Father’s Day to every man who has ever showed up for a child, whether that child was still a tot or a middle-aged adult; their biological child or mentee; a child they planned and prayed for or an unexpected surprise; a child who had a village or none at all. The impact is not within the title of “father,” but in the actions, love, and care that is shown.
