Culture, not color: Spiritual declension and liberal corruption of the American black family in particular and its correlation to behavioral problems
Excerpts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_family_structure (accessed 9-24-21: content subject to change):
A study of 1880 family structures in Philadelphia, showed that three-quarters of black families were nuclear families, composed of two parents and children.[14 (Hershberg, Theodore (Winter 1971–1972). "Free Blacks in Antebellum Philadelphia: A Study of Ex-Slaves, Freeborn, and Socioeconomic Decline". Journal of Social History. 5)] [Insert: By 2006, married-couple families accounted for only 34% among African Americans. (https://www.urbanleaguephila.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ULP_SOBP.pdf)]
Data from U.S. Census reports reveal that between 1880 and 1960, married households consisting of two-parent homes were the most widespread form of African-American family structures.[13] Although the most popular, married households decreased over this time period. Single-parent homes, on the other hand, remained relatively stable until 1960; when they rose dramatically.[13 (Ruggles, S. (1994). The origins of African-American family structure. American Sociological Review, 136–151)]
In the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in 1925, 85 percent of kin-related black households had two parents.[15 (Giordano, Joseph; Levine, Irving M. (Winter 1977). "Carter's Family Policy: The Pluralist's Challenge". Journal of Current Social Issues. 14)]
When Moynihan warned in his 1965 report on the coming destruction of the black family, however, the out-of-wedlock birthrate had increased to 25% among the black population.[12 (Daniel P. Moynihan, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action)]
This figure continued to rise over time and in 1991, 68% of black children were born outside of marriage.[16 (National Review, April 4, 1994, p. 24.)] U.S. Census data from 2010 reveal that more African-American families consisted of single mothers than married households with both parents.[17 (Lofquist, Daphne; Terry Lugaila; Martin O'Connell; Sarah Feliz. "Households and Families: 2010")]
In 2011, it was reported that 72% of black babies were born to unmarried mothers.[11 (Washington, Jesse (2010-11-06). "Blacks struggle with 72 percent unwed mothers rate - Boston.com")]
As of 2015, at 77.3 percent, black Americans have the highest rate of non-marital births among native Americans.[18 (Camarota, y Steven A. "Births to Unmarried Mothers by Nativity and Education". Center for Immigration Studies)]
About 67 percent of black children are born into a single parent household.[24 (Louis, Jacobson. "CNN's Don Lemon says more than 72 percent of African-American births are out of wedlock")]
Melvin Wilson states that the single mother role in the African-American family is played by 94% of African-American single parents.[46 (editor, Melvin N. Wilson (1995). African American family life its structural and ecological aspects. )]
In 2016 29% of African Americans were married, while 48% of all Americans were. Also, 50% of African Americans have never been married in contrast to 33% of all Americans. In 2016 just under half (48%) of black women had never been married which is an increase from 44% in 2008 and 42.7%
in 2005. 52% of black men had never been married. Also, 15% percent of black men were married to non-black women which is up from 11% in 2010.
Black women were the least likely to marry non-black men at only 7% in 2017.[19 ("Black Marriage in America". Blackdemographics.com/. Akiim DeShay.)] The rate of African American marriage is consistently lower than White Americans, and is declining.[61]
These trends are so pervasive that families who are married are considered a minority family structure for blacks.[61] In 1970, 64% of adult African Americans were married. This rate was cut in half by 2004, when it was 32%.[61] In 2004, 45% of African Americans had never been married compared to only 25% of White Americans.[61]
For African Americans who do marry, the rate of divorce is higher than White Americans. While the trend is the same for both African Americans and White Americans, with at least half of marriages for the two groups ending in divorce, the rate of divorce tends to be consistently higher for African Americans.[61]
African Americans also tend to spend less time married than White Americans. Overall, African Americans are married at a later age, spend less time married and are more likely to be divorced than White Americans.[61 (Dixon, P (2009). "Marriage among African Americans: What does the research reveal?". Journal of African American Studies. 13)]
While research has shown that marriage rates have dropped for African Americans, the birth rate has not. Thus, the number of single-parent homes has risen dramatically for black women.[62 (David T. Euwood; Christopher Jencks (2004). Kathryn M. Neckerman (ed.). Social Inequality.)] In 1992 47% of all African-American extended families were segmented extended family structures, compared to 12% of all other races combined.[25 (Paul C. Glick, ed. by Harriette Pipes McAdoo (1997). Black families (3rd ed.) ]
Thomas, Krampe, and Newton's research shows that 32% of African-American fathers rarely to never visit their children, compared to 11% of white fathers.[36 (Thomas, P. A.; Krampe, E. M.; Newton, R. R. (19 March 2007). "Father Presence, Family Structure, and Feelings of Closeness to the Father Among Adult African American Children".)]
Sowell has argued: "The black family, which had survived centuries of slavery and discrimination, began rapidly disintegrating in the liberal welfare state that subsidized unwed pregnancy and changed welfare from an emergency rescue to a way of life."[59 (Sowell, Thomas (August 16, 2004). "A painful anniversary")]
Although black males make up 6% of the population, they make up 50% of those who are incarcerated.[61]This incarceration rate for black males increased by a rate of more than four between the years of 1980 and 2003. The incarceration rate for African American males is 3,045 out of 100,000 compared to 465 per 100,000 White American males.[61] In many areas around the country, the chance that black males will be arrested and jailed at least once in their lifetime is extremely high.
For Washington, D.C., this probability is between 80 and 90%.[61 (Dixon, P (2009). "Marriage among African Americans: What does the research reveal?")] Studies on the topic have indicated that children growing up in single-parent homes face disturbances in young childhood, adolescence and young adulthood as well.[71]
Although these effects are sometimes minimal and contradictory, it is generally agreed that the family structure a child grows up in is important for their success in the educational sphere.[71 (Heiss, Jerold (August 1996). "Effects of African American Family Structure on School Attitudes and Performance")]
This is particularly important for African American children who have a 50% chance of being born outside of marriages and growing up in a home with a single-parent.[79 (Cain, D. S., & Combs-Orme, T. (2005). Family structure effects on parenting stress and practices in the African American family. J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare, 32, 19)]
In addition, according to https://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/:
- 43% of US children live without their father [US Department of Census]
- 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census]
- 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. [Criminal Justice & Behaviour, Vol 14, pp. 403-26, 1978]
- 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release, Friday, March 26, 1999]
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census]
- 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. [Center for Disease Control]
- 90% of adolescent repeat arsonists live with only their mother. [Wray Herbert, “Dousing the Kindlers,” Psychology Today, January, 1985, p. 28]
- 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. [National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools]
- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)
- 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)
Father Factor in Education – Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.
- Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.
- Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.
- Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.
- Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.
- 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.