For registered nurse, health and media consultant Penni Malloy-Harper, being a Daddy’s Girl meant more than affection — it meant protection, pride, and a profound understanding of Black identity. In this heartfelt feature for SwagHer Magazine’s Daddy’s Girl Series, Penni opens up about her late father, Marcus Corrigan Malloy, an architect with the NYC Department of Sanitation, a lover of jazz and books, and a man whose calm wisdom and deep cultural convictions continue to guide her to this day.
Please tell us about yourself.
Penni: My name is Penni Malloy-Harper. I am a daughter, mother, sister, and wife. I am also a registered nurse and health and media consultant.
What was your dad’s full name?
Penni: My dad’s name is Marcus Corrigan Malloy. He was born in 1938 and passed away in 2016. My Dad was very calm and never cursed. He said he ran track, but I could never visualize him moving fast. He was an architect and designed buildings for the New York City Department of Sanitation. He had a passion for film and jazz, and eating healthily. He was an avid reader and his favorite books were “How to Eat To Live” and “Message to the Blackman,” both written by Elijah Muhammad, and “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin.
How does your father still influence your life today?
Penni: As a child, my father was actively involved in the Muslim religion and studied the Quran under Elijah Muhammad. He was fluent in Arabic and French and even wrote in Arabic. He taught me the value of being Black and to be proud of being Black. As a young child, I often told him that I wanted to be a Black Panther, one of my uncles was a Black Panther, but the Black Panthers were non-existent in Brooklyn, where I grew up. As an adult, I joined the National Action Network to support and advocate for the unrepresented and disenfranchised Black people of our nation.
What are your fondest memories of your father? Is there a moment or a story you find yourself returning to often?
Penni: I have many stories about life with my father. I often think about jumping from one building to another on the roof of the Tompkins Projects because the elevator in my building often didn’t work when we returned home to Brooklyn from family Sunday dinners in St. Albans, Queens. Lol, I did not want to walk up 32 flights of stairs. I now know that it was unsafe, but with my dad, I knew I was protected, and he would not let harm come my way.
How would you describe your relationship with your Dad? What made your bond special?
Penni: My Dad taught me to love and respect Black men because of how he treated me. My brother and sister had a different relationship with my dad than I did. He encouraged me to do the things that made me happy, such as helping me to make my Afro, and encouraging me to dance with the Dance Theater of Harlem. He often said, “Too loud, Penni, too loud, because as the middle child, I felt I had to be loud to be heard. My Dad heard me when no one else did.
What did being a Daddy’s Girl mean to you?
Penni: Being a Daddy’s Girl, I felt special, safe, loved, and adored. The special love that a father and daughter have shapes how they view and interact with men in general.
What do you miss most about him?
Penni: I miss discussing current politics. He always put things in perspective and was hopeful and optimistic, never discouraged. I miss his voice, his laugh, and his presence. His blood runs through my veins, and he is with me always.
What do you feel you still carry with you because of him? Is there a lesson or piece of wisdom he shared that continues to guide you?
Penni: I still have a sense of black pride that he instilled in me. Also, education was super important to my dad. His love for education inspired me to earn three degrees from New York University. My parents would take me to my classes because they felt I was too young to navigate Greenwich Village in New York City, where NYU is located.
If you could tell your Dad one thing this Father’s Day, what would it be?
Penni: I wouldn’t say anything because he didn’t celebrate Father’s Day. He felt that celebrating and honoring your father was a daily occurrence and is not relegated to one specific day.
What advice would you give to someone who lost their father and is struggling to navigate this new normal?
Penni: Someone struggling to navigate the loss of their father should know that it helps to remember the good times, the life lessons, and the love they shared. Lessons learned, pass them on; lament often, so their father’s memories live on.
How do you keep your father’s memory alive today and honor his life on days like Father’s Day?
Penni: I keep my dad’s memory alive by remembering each day the man he was and how he gave me the best of himself.
