The fathers who marched around Isenberg Elementary School on Tuesday didn’t come close to numbering a million, but the 60 men who participated sent a powerful and important message. They want to be there for their children, especially when it comes to education.

The Million Father March is an initiative of the Black Star Project. According to the census, 57.6 percent of black children, 31.2 percent of Hispanic children, and 20.7 percent of white children do not have their biological father living under the same roof.  The message of the march may be of particular importance to black families, but it applies across all races and ethnic groups. Fathers can make a huge difference by being positively involved in their children’s lives. If they show by words and deeds that they believe education is important, their children will do the same.

The country is suffering an epidemic of fatherlessness, according to the National Center for Fathering. More than 20 million children do not have a father living in the same household, and millions more have a father who is present in body but detached emotionally.

The consequences? “Children from fatherless homes are more likely to be poor, become involved in drug and alcohol abuse, drop out of school, and suffer from health and emotional problems,” says the National Center on Fathering. “Boys are more likely to become involved in crime, and girls are more likely to become pregnant as teens.”

Several years ago, someone started “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” to encourage girls to think about careers. The  Florida Department of Education holds  a “Dads Take Your Child to School Day” to strengthen the link between fathers and education. When fathers are actively involved in their children’s education, students do better in academics, discipline and responsibility.

Considering the importance of their role, the men at Isenberg did more than march on Tuesday; they took a stand.