eric_holder.jpgATLANTA (AP) _ Attorney General Eric Holder brought President Barack Obama's message of responsible fatherhood to an audience committed to that cause.

Holder praised their efforts and listened to their challenges and stories of success.

The White House and Department of Justice hosted the Forum on Responsible Fatherhood and Strong Communities at Morehouse College, the country's only higher education institution devoted to black males. Obama is the father of two daughters and grew up without his own father in the home. He launched the initiative on Father's Day.

Holder told the audience that being a responsible husband and father of three is as important as his role as attorney general. He sought to bridge relations between the criminal justice system and human services organizations to decrease recidivism rates and reconnect incarcerated men with their families upon their release.

Pictured above is Attorney General Eric Holder.