Being African-American Single Motherhood

In the U.S., African-Americans are less likely to be married. In fact, 29% were married compared to 48% for the national average (2014 est.). Also, up to 72% of African-Americans children are raised by single parents compared to 25% of Whites, 42% of Hispanics, and 53% of Indian and Native Alaskans (Jacobson, 2013).

There are many irresponsible parents in modern society who don’t take responsibility over their children. Many mothers are left to raise a child all by themselves while other children have no mother to care for them at all. The very unfortunate children are left stranded by themselves with no one to care for them and guide them in the right direction. Abandonment is a serious crime that is getting worse now that more and more underage girls are having children and either abandoning them, or raising them without a father.

About four in every ten children born in America in 2008 were born outside of marriage, and they are disproportionately minority and poor. “Only about 6 percent of college-educated mothers’ births are nonmarital versus 60 percent of those of high school dropouts” (5). Scholars responded to this by studying single-parent families.

As stated in Webster 's II Dictionary, a woman is defined to be an adult female human. In today 's society being an African American woman is a rigid task to live up to. It means to reside to what their ancestors have left behind, which means to be stronger than ever. Rosa Parks was strong, Harriet Tubman was also strong, and Jezebel was even stronger. So what exactly does it mean to be a woman? It means to stand up for what is right, even if that means sacrifice, it means to be strong whether it be physically, emotionally, or mentally. African American women are perceived to be the backbone of the family, meaning that even though the male may support the family financially, that the women have the emotional and mental part in the

In the context of the many worries that Black American mothers must relentlessly carry for their daughters’ safety, you [Emily Bernard] claim that “hope” is what drives you to release your daughters into the world and cease the rage you experience each time you hear about a young African-American being murdered. However, in response to your article “Between the World and Me: Black American Motherhood”, I would say that not only should you continue to carry “hope”, but it is also crucial that you have a desire to incite change. Given that you are a professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Vermont, you could also initiate serious discussion about race among your students that could then hopefully carry over to the rest

Most American’s have grown up with this idea of what a family is supposed to be, how it is structured and how it functions. Throughout time the idea’s have changed and evolved but the ideal “American family” is generally the same. A father, mother, a little boy and girl who live in the suburban’s with the white picket fence. There is this idea that the earlier American family was perfect, or near it. Every person in the family had their place and did their duties. Few toed the line and families stuck together no matter what. That may have been more accurate at a time, but the reason is far from just the idea that times where easier. Families stuck together because of strong religious prohibitions and community norms. This was a time where

(Smith, 1988, p. 270). High homicide rates, high suicide rates, few job options, high percentage of drop outs, and limited life plan continue to become more common within the adolescent male the belief that he must survive. In today’s generation, adolescent fathers may feel like if he plays an active role in the child’s life, then he will be an adult, but may also feel like he does not need to provide financial support to the mother. Because of an adolescent father’s fixated view of self, influenced by society, would only make sure he is in a “good” position. Social workers often put an emphasis on how the father grew up in a damaged household with little to no motivation to be an active father in the child’s life, whereas they should provide more assistance into helping him be a better person and the best father. With all of these challenges that adolescent fathers face, I begin to question, how much hope does society have for the African-American male and his

Family structure plays an important role within the African American culture. TIP #39 (2005) states, that a

Women make up half of the United states population according to the US census bureau, however women have been historically underrepresented in the business environment (7. US census). If women could overcome the challenges that seem to affect them in business they could become an integral part of the future workforce as it grows in many women based industries. What challenges could be holding women back from their full potential in the business world? The first part of my research question to be addressed that would allow an adequate understanding of the subject would be to find the challenges that specifically women as a gender group may face in business, I believe this will help to understand what effects they have on the challenges that African American Women(AAW) face. Although women owned business have been steadily increasing rapidly in growth in the US economy there are certain challenges that specifically African American women have been found to have to face that may hinder them from reaching the same potential afforded their male counterparts. In a journal writing written by the international labor organization(ILO) they focused on these challenges that women business owners face and some of these specific questions were addressed. (8 I.L.O)

Family is an important aspect of society. Keeping a family stable is a hard task and the definition of family has expanded from what it used to be because nuclear families are not the norm nowadays. Throughout history the African-American family has had to face traumatic events such as slavery, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement. The racism, segregation, and discrimination that followed these movements have also played an integral role in developing the black family. It takes diligence, strength, and courage in order to be able to persevere through hardship. Society as a whole has tried to undermine the black family by implementing in them a false identity of inferiority. If there are strong nuclear black families today, that means that powerful people in history have been forced to step up in order to make a difference within their community. From the beginning of the play to the very end, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun displays the vital theme of family. In the play there are multiple generations within the Younger Family’s household. The different generations come to show how the African-American family has had to evolve over time. A Raisin in the Sun highlighted the difficulties that families have in order to be able to overcome poverty, aspirations, and the society.

African American women, often perceived as a sexual object or the Jezebel (the stereotype of white man view of the black woman as loose and over-sexed) have struggled to eliminate images that promote sexual exploitation such as their promiscuity (showing off their breast, behind, legs, and showing much of their skin on television, music videos and magazines) through the use of feminist movements and the creation of the womanist movement. However, in modern day society, black women have accepted these sexual ideas which were once considered to be dishonorable. The acceptance of this image, a direct cause of social construction and suppressed oppression, has given rise to a disturbed vision of black womanhood for years to come. Despite this,

Research studies have shown that African Americans are currently the least likely ethnic group to be married in this country. This paper will examine some of the reasons why this trend exists when there was a time when marriage rates among blacks were about equal to those of whites. History, culture, economics and dominant culture influences have impacted the current trends in African American families. Many are choosing to postpone marriage, while others are finding alternative ways to cultivate family and raise children. Does the African American definition of family differ from that of the dominant culture? How has ecological systems influenced past and present trends in African American families? These questions and more are examined

In both countries theirs an average happiness in there face. Since, both families have obtain there needs in each day. Also, both families have an important thing to accomplished which is have food for the children. Even, this hard word shows how they have to overcome some obstacles to reach there resources. The outcome of the results makes them remain content with what they accomplished. This hard work may not be easy but, the important thing is to work hard to reach the goals and never stop trying harder.

In 1908, W.E.B. Dubois explored the weakness among the black family in The Negro American Family (1908) where he claimed that slavery destructed the African American family. Over a century later, former President Barack Obama echoed the thoughts of W.E.B. Dubois stating that “too many fathers [are] missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes... in the African-American community” (Miller, 2010). There are two dominant reasons today for the weakness of the black family – the mass incarceration of the black man and the killing of the black man through police brutality, all which root from institutionalized slavery in white America. The elimination of the black man from African-American families has affected black womanhood greatly. Historians and scholars argue that a “matrifocal (mother-centered) family became typical of African Americans both during slavery and after emancipation and has been

The interview was conducted in the home of the individual. The interviewee is a 35 year old African American single parent with three children ages two, three, and ten. The oldest child is diagnosed with ID (Intellectual Disability). The single mother is employed as a waitress at a local restaurant which requires flexibility including nights and weekend hours. The purpose of the study was to assess the needs of the individual. I started the interview with an informed constant explaining the basic purpose of the study, describing the procedures in details, disclosing her right to refuse and/or withdraw at anytime during the study, confidentiality, and the benefits of the study, since I was incognizant of any risk. I stayed within the ethical