The journey of African American fathers involved in the child welfare permanency process is influenced by the intersection of institutional betrayal, race, and gender. These societal norms work together within the context of the child welfare system to impact the reality of African American fathers. This is due to the absence of equitable child welfare policies and the pervasiveness of informal interpersonal practices that are rooted in unfounded stereotypes, attitudes, and assumptions toward African American males. African American fathers who find themselves engaged in the child welfare permanency process seldom have the opportunity to express their narrative. The "Voices of Determination" study seeks to gain a rich understanding of the individual experiences of African American fathers that stem from persistent societal beliefs about racial and gender inferiority. Its focus is on examining the impact of negative portrayals of African American men's family roles on their children's experiences within the child welfare system. The "Voices of Determination" study utilizes photovoice, a form of participatory photography, as the primary qualitative method and explores the impact of institutional betrayal, race, and gender on the experience of African American fathers aged 18-55 years engaged in the child welfare permanency process in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Using an attachment theoretical lens, the relationship between the child welfare system and African American fathers was examined. To ensure cultural relevance, African American Male Development Theory was integrated to articulate African American men's unique social, intellectual, spiritual, and systems engagement experiences. As part and parcel of the photovoice, participant-centered methods were used to explore the experiences that supported or challenged the child welfare permanency process for 10 African American fathers. Photovoice captioned images and interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. In this exploratory study, African American fathers consistently demonstrated the theme of narrative coherence when discussing their negative relationships with the child welfare system. They coherently described their personal experiences of feeling rejected or neglected by the child welfare system's policies and practices. When they had consistent positive encounters that provided a secure working model, the study participants were able to demonstrate the earned-secure attachment characteristic of narrative coherence. For this study, the secure working model necessary for the coherent narrative was derived through the interactions with the facilitators of the parenting education and support groups and continued with the researcher.
The findings of this study shed light on the fourth tenet of the African American Male Development Theoretical perspective. Through their narratives, the fathers defined themselves beyond any socially constructed ideas of innate biological or cultural deficiencies, and instead emphasized their resilience and resistance within the permanency planning process. Although the results of this exploratory study cannot be generalized beyond the men who participated, it offers valuable insight into the experiences of African American fathers who are involved in the process of reuniting with their children within the child welfare system's permanency process. The study suggests areas that require further exploration and research and recommends policy and practice changes within the child welfare system based on the personal experiences of these men who are affected daily.

Keywords: AFRICAN AMERICAN FATHERS, CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE, PHOTOVOICE, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE DEVELOPMENT THEORY, ATTACHMENT THEORY