“The lack of urgency on this matter among black leadership is scandalous and reeks of the pursuit of personal interest above the pursuit of the interest of black Americans.” You got it. This is a powerful article, but as you clearly know, in today’s culture your data will be rejected as we are in a “post truth” era and the notion of “family” is another example of “oppression”. It breaks my heart. Still, you’re part of a small but increasing “counter-revolution” of brave souls who actually care about the need for young people, all people, to have a chance for happiness and a constructive meaningful life. Thank you.
This has always been the real atrocity against black people. The psychology of entitlement is a total dead end, leading to the destruction of a future. Desert the children and the rest will follow. Withholding the key to hope is soul destroying; purposely gutting it deserves damnation. It gets...silence.
To add another log to the fire, women make up 69% of graduates from HBCU s and are far more likely than men to seek partners of equal educational experience for marriage. Best and brightest are not getting married. Does not bode well for future generations
Thank you for arming us with data and facts about some of the causes of Black poverty. While correlation doesn't equal causation, in this case, it's the best we've got, and when it comes to complex social trends and dynamics, it's the only available means of achieving some insight into the problem.
PS. I'd be labelled an oppressive white supremacist if I raised these facts in conversation, when the reality is that taking a clear eyed view of the situation in all of its complexity is not only the most effective way to address Black poverty, but the only way.
“We were startled to see just how much more education young African-Americans must get in order to have the same chance at landing a job as their white peers,”
2) Black fathers are the best fathers according the CDC, irrespective of whether they live with their children or are married.
Blaming a lack of marriage for poverty is as stupid as blaming Black people for largely being illiterate during slavery. The illiteracy and the lack of marriage are by products of white supremacy rather than evidence that white supremacy doesn’t cause harm.
4) Even when Black folks have the same wealth or more wealth, white supremacy creates a worse outcome. A rich Black boy is more likely to be incarcerated than a poor white boy. The wealthiest Black women are more likely to have a child die during childbirth than the poorest white women. Etc. Etc, Etc. Today, racism in appraisals, home lending, employment, and housing is growing rather than receding. The racial wealth gap is growing rather than shrinking. All of these factors drive outcomes such as marriages.
The articles you cite are not especially convincing. For example, this quote from the 10-year-old Forbes article: "Among black and white men who have earned bachelor’s degrees, the unemployment gap is only 5%. For black women who have bachelor’s degrees, the gap with whites is just 3%. For blacks and whites who earn professional degrees, the gap almost disappears." There are 35 million white Americans below the poverty line. Now, this certainly represents a lower percentage of poverty among white Americans than the percentage of Black Americans who are impoverished. But it sure ain't nothing. And it sure doesn't seem like white supremacy has done much for those 35 million white Americans. We MUST fix our system of education which has utterly failed the urban poor, and we must deal with the cultural issues raised by Mr. Qualls. And of course, we must continue to enforce the laws against racial discrimination. The change we have seen since the early 1900s is astonishing. We should resolve to continue on that trajectory rather than to burn it all down with the fires of a new racism.
I wrote an essay asking if the NAACP and the Black Caucus were still significant. As you state they are all about anything but changing the black community for the better. You would thing they would have changed their focus but it remains the same. you mentioned the Urban League. I would add the black church to the conversation. https://cecilagrantjr.substack.com/p/unfounded-loyalty
Comrade, we know what’s best for oppressed black kids and families in Oregon, especially now that we have a statically measurable black population. You are the black face of white supremacy to think otherwise.
I’m reading a book that describes what has been happening in our schools which compounds the problem outlined in your essay and many other problems we are seeing in our country. It’s really opened my eyes and makes sense of how we got to the upside down world we currently live in.
Until Black men start marrying their baby-mamas, and until Black women start refusing to have kids with men who won't marry them, this problem will just go on and on.
The fact that baby mama and baby daddy have even entered the lexicon is awful. It speaks to a strange relationship devoid of responsibility to the child or the other parent.
Growing up in California I've been in closer proximity to these mythical and undifferentiated Asians my entire life. Very few people talk about the fact the Crenshaw was a black and Japanese community for decades. Both mine and the Nesei generation grew up there at the same time. All you'll hear about in the mainstream is Manzanar and model minorities, in fact we all grew up with similar values and the same cohorts moved up and out of enclaves into broad success.
In the midst of this focus on socio-economic upward mobility, few people talk about family values and the hairy eyeballs served up by matrons of these successful offspring. But those who lived it cannot and will not forget it. Others ignore, except perhaps when they hear Shug's tale from The Color Purple. That gold wedding band used to be a symbol of pride and success and *that* was considered black culture, the same as with the Nesei. Somehow it became gold chains and tracksuits.
Shameless 'culture' has always been around and will continue, as will those who make excuses centered around 'institutional racism'. What such people fail to mention is their desire to be in unbreakable racial solidarity with the wretched of the earth, as if that were the only virtue in America. We in the Old School know much better. Our family values are ignored at America's peril, and the earth is not flat.
Follow the money: There's a huge cohort of people making a living off the welfare state. Reduce dependency and these people are out of a job. Exacerbate dependency and it's party time.
I'll share an anecdote related to me by a black woman friend. As a young woman she was having some health issues and visited her local welfare office to see if she could get assistance with her medical bills. The white woman she interacted with told her, "Honey, if you have a baby, you'll be okay. If you have two babies, you'll be set for life." This experience turned my friend into a hardcore conservative.
You won’t have economic development in areas that are wracked by violent crime. Young black men (15-34) are just 2% of the population and commit about half of the nation's homicides. A rate an astounding 49 times that of the average American. Most of their victims are other young black men. A major reason no one cares. They are the country's gun violence problem. Saying that truth makes me a racist in today's world.
The roots of the problem are: the lack of respect for education (read up on the disruption in any inner city classroom and the refusal of black administrators to address it by imposing needed discipline) and the casual acceptance of criminal behavior in the black community exemplified by the refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, and the failure of many (most?) black fathers to love and care for their children and especially their boy children. Those who object to this analysis deny black people any agency over their own lives. They are the true racists. Fix those issues and you have a shot at reducing gun violence in America and at the same time promoting economic growth in the black community.
“The lack of urgency on this matter among black leadership is scandalous and reeks of the pursuit of personal interest above the pursuit of the interest of black Americans.” You got it. This is a powerful article, but as you clearly know, in today’s culture your data will be rejected as we are in a “post truth” era and the notion of “family” is another example of “oppression”. It breaks my heart. Still, you’re part of a small but increasing “counter-revolution” of brave souls who actually care about the need for young people, all people, to have a chance for happiness and a constructive meaningful life. Thank you.
This has always been the real atrocity against black people. The psychology of entitlement is a total dead end, leading to the destruction of a future. Desert the children and the rest will follow. Withholding the key to hope is soul destroying; purposely gutting it deserves damnation. It gets...silence.
To add another log to the fire, women make up 69% of graduates from HBCU s and are far more likely than men to seek partners of equal educational experience for marriage. Best and brightest are not getting married. Does not bode well for future generations
That's why they prefer white men.
These data are damning to the common attitude that family and marriage are akin to shackles. Outstanding work, thank you.
Excellent article. Thanks for the insights- they are spot on!
Thank you for arming us with data and facts about some of the causes of Black poverty. While correlation doesn't equal causation, in this case, it's the best we've got, and when it comes to complex social trends and dynamics, it's the only available means of achieving some insight into the problem.
PS. I'd be labelled an oppressive white supremacist if I raised these facts in conversation, when the reality is that taking a clear eyed view of the situation in all of its complexity is not only the most effective way to address Black poverty, but the only way.
1) We should work to finish HS, etc, etc. That is what we already do. BUT, A Black person with a college degree has the same opportunities as a white person who failed to finish HS. So, it always comes back to white supremacy in terms of the income gaps and wealth gaps. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/06/27/white-high-school-drop-outs-are-as-likely-to-land-jobs-as-black-college-students/
“We were startled to see just how much more education young African-Americans must get in order to have the same chance at landing a job as their white peers,”
2) Black fathers are the best fathers according the CDC, irrespective of whether they live with their children or are married.
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/miami/news/study-black-dads-more-involved-in-childrenss-lives-than-other-groups/
3) Reducing poverty would increase the number of marriages.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/marriage/etc/poverty.html#:~:text=Non%2Dmarriage%20is%20often%20a,could%20leave%20them%20worse%20off
Blaming a lack of marriage for poverty is as stupid as blaming Black people for largely being illiterate during slavery. The illiteracy and the lack of marriage are by products of white supremacy rather than evidence that white supremacy doesn’t cause harm.
4) Even when Black folks have the same wealth or more wealth, white supremacy creates a worse outcome. A rich Black boy is more likely to be incarcerated than a poor white boy. The wealthiest Black women are more likely to have a child die during childbirth than the poorest white women. Etc. Etc, Etc. Today, racism in appraisals, home lending, employment, and housing is growing rather than receding. The racial wealth gap is growing rather than shrinking. All of these factors drive outcomes such as marriages.
The articles you cite are not especially convincing. For example, this quote from the 10-year-old Forbes article: "Among black and white men who have earned bachelor’s degrees, the unemployment gap is only 5%. For black women who have bachelor’s degrees, the gap with whites is just 3%. For blacks and whites who earn professional degrees, the gap almost disappears." There are 35 million white Americans below the poverty line. Now, this certainly represents a lower percentage of poverty among white Americans than the percentage of Black Americans who are impoverished. But it sure ain't nothing. And it sure doesn't seem like white supremacy has done much for those 35 million white Americans. We MUST fix our system of education which has utterly failed the urban poor, and we must deal with the cultural issues raised by Mr. Qualls. And of course, we must continue to enforce the laws against racial discrimination. The change we have seen since the early 1900s is astonishing. We should resolve to continue on that trajectory rather than to burn it all down with the fires of a new racism.
Is this from The Onion?
I wrote an essay asking if the NAACP and the Black Caucus were still significant. As you state they are all about anything but changing the black community for the better. You would thing they would have changed their focus but it remains the same. you mentioned the Urban League. I would add the black church to the conversation. https://cecilagrantjr.substack.com/p/unfounded-loyalty
Comrade, we know what’s best for oppressed black kids and families in Oregon, especially now that we have a statically measurable black population. You are the black face of white supremacy to think otherwise.
Can you please elaborate on your comment? It starts with a non-sequitur and finishes with an accusation. It makes no sense.
100% agree!
I’m reading a book that describes what has been happening in our schools which compounds the problem outlined in your essay and many other problems we are seeing in our country. It’s really opened my eyes and makes sense of how we got to the upside down world we currently live in.
https://www.itsnotinschools.com/
Thank you!
Its hearltbreaking and i dont see the way out …
Until Black men start marrying their baby-mamas, and until Black women start refusing to have kids with men who won't marry them, this problem will just go on and on.
The fact that baby mama and baby daddy have even entered the lexicon is awful. It speaks to a strange relationship devoid of responsibility to the child or the other parent.
Growing up in California I've been in closer proximity to these mythical and undifferentiated Asians my entire life. Very few people talk about the fact the Crenshaw was a black and Japanese community for decades. Both mine and the Nesei generation grew up there at the same time. All you'll hear about in the mainstream is Manzanar and model minorities, in fact we all grew up with similar values and the same cohorts moved up and out of enclaves into broad success.
In the midst of this focus on socio-economic upward mobility, few people talk about family values and the hairy eyeballs served up by matrons of these successful offspring. But those who lived it cannot and will not forget it. Others ignore, except perhaps when they hear Shug's tale from The Color Purple. That gold wedding band used to be a symbol of pride and success and *that* was considered black culture, the same as with the Nesei. Somehow it became gold chains and tracksuits.
Shameless 'culture' has always been around and will continue, as will those who make excuses centered around 'institutional racism'. What such people fail to mention is their desire to be in unbreakable racial solidarity with the wretched of the earth, as if that were the only virtue in America. We in the Old School know much better. Our family values are ignored at America's peril, and the earth is not flat.
Please keep talking. Your opinions are so valuable!
Follow the money: There's a huge cohort of people making a living off the welfare state. Reduce dependency and these people are out of a job. Exacerbate dependency and it's party time.
I'll share an anecdote related to me by a black woman friend. As a young woman she was having some health issues and visited her local welfare office to see if she could get assistance with her medical bills. The white woman she interacted with told her, "Honey, if you have a baby, you'll be okay. If you have two babies, you'll be set for life." This experience turned my friend into a hardcore conservative.
You won’t have economic development in areas that are wracked by violent crime. Young black men (15-34) are just 2% of the population and commit about half of the nation's homicides. A rate an astounding 49 times that of the average American. Most of their victims are other young black men. A major reason no one cares. They are the country's gun violence problem. Saying that truth makes me a racist in today's world.
The roots of the problem are: the lack of respect for education (read up on the disruption in any inner city classroom and the refusal of black administrators to address it by imposing needed discipline) and the casual acceptance of criminal behavior in the black community exemplified by the refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, and the failure of many (most?) black fathers to love and care for their children and especially their boy children. Those who object to this analysis deny black people any agency over their own lives. They are the true racists. Fix those issues and you have a shot at reducing gun violence in America and at the same time promoting economic growth in the black community.