African Americans are the most un-partnered group in America. Census figures show that 43 percent of African Americans have never married compared to 25 percent of whites who have never married. About four out of every 10 African American men and women had never been married, the highest proportion of any racial category.
US Census 2003
Facts about the African American Family
African Americans make up 12.9 percent of the population (36.4 million). US Census 2003
In the US those 15 and over:
34 % are currently married
5% are separated
11% are divorced
7% are widowed
43% have never married
US Census 2003
African American Households:
48% married couple headed
52% $50,000 or more household income
79% High School education or more
US Census 2003
Among women, African Americans and Hispanics had the highest percentage of separated 6 percent and 5 percent respectively. Research has show that African American and Hispanic women are more likely to remain separated without getting a legal divorce than are women of other groups. US Census 2003
A comparatively high percentage of African American grandparents were living in the same household as their grandchildren (8%) compared to whites (2%). More than half of the African American grandparents report that they are responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren. US Census 2003
“Today the number of children born into a black marriage averages less than 0.9 children per marriage. The birthrates of black married women have fallen so sharply that absent out-of-wedlock childbearing, the African American population would not only fail to reproduce itself, but would rapidly die off.” Maggie Gallagher, The Abolition of Marriage
Cohabitation in America - especially cohabitation as an alternative to marriages – is more common among Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and disadvantaged white women. One reason for this is that male income and employment are lower among minorities and the lower classes, and male economic status remains an important determinant as to whether or not a man feels ready to marry and a woman wants to marry him. David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, “Should We Live Together?”
Seventy-five percent of all black children born in the last two decades are likely to live for some portion of their childhood with only their mothers. Bumpass, L.L. and J.A. Sweet, “Children Experience in Single-Parent Families: Implications of Cohabitation and Marital Transitions.”
“Today only one-third of black children have two parents in the home.” Dennis A. Ahlburg and Carol J. DeVita, “New Realities of the American Family”
A longitudinal study of the effects of divorce among African-Americans found that women suffered an economic loss of 25 percent and men suffered a 7 percent economic loss. Pollock, Gene E. and Atlee L. Stroup, “Economic Consequences of Marital Dissolution for Blacks
Black children are only half as likely as white children to be living in a two-parent household and are eight times more likely than white children to live with an unwed mother. For black children under six, the most common arrangement applying to 42 percent of them was to live with a never married mother. Maggie Gallagher, The Abolition of Marriage
No comments:
Post a Comment