The Culturally Popular Notion that 70 % of Black Women Don’t Marry Is Just a Myth. (1170 hits)
Original url link posted on blog, "Black Women ARE Getting Married!" by Janet A. Jackson who is a member of the Black Women Connect site.
...For the last few years, I have been hearing from every source imaginable that the vast majority of black women will never marry. This never made sense to me because so many black women I know are married. And indeed, eventually, most black women do marry.
A look at recent census data will tell you that the 70 percent we keep hearing about has been misconstrued. According to 2009 data from the Census Bureau, 70.5 percent of black women in the United States had never been married — but those were women between the ages of 25 and 29. Black women marry later, but they do marry. By age 55 and above, those numbers showed, only 13 percent of black women had never been married. In fact, people who have never married in their lifetimes are in the clear minority, regardless of race.
With all the attention on black women, I had assumed that black men must be marrying in droves; otherwise they would be the focus of similar scrutiny. Not the case. Census numbers show that 73.1 percent of black men between the ages of 25 and 29 have never been married. That is actually higher than the numbers associated with black women.
Without warrant, black women have been the main focus of the “marriage crisis.” Marriage as the norm in the United States has been on the decline for decades; married couples now make up less than half of American households.
So why all of the negative attention on black women?
It is part of a persistent historical and present-day attack on black people in America, with black men made into deviants and black women into problems.
As Pearl Cleage writes in “Deals With the Devil: And Other Reasons to Riot,” it’s a no-win competition. “We’re all in terrible shape because of the presence of racism and s*xism in our lives. ... s*xism is still not a word that gets used much in the black community, even though it describes a form of oppression that affects the majority population of the community — women! — and is no less virulent and deadly than racism."
The marriage crisis is the just the latest example.
There are logical reasons for black women to marry in their late 30s through their 40s, compared with women of other races who are more likely to marry in their late 20s and early 30s. Significantly more black women than black men are earning college degrees. That means significantly fewer black men are on college campuses, and thus in their 20s are not in the same arenas physically, educationally or professionally, making it more difficult to find black partners of equal footing — and the reality is that a lot of black women still prefer black men as partners. With age, the numbers of unmarried black women and men become significantly lower, suggesting that both find themselves at places in their lives where they are ready and able to commit.
Where are those black men who might be in college? The drug war has swept millions of poor people of color, a disproportionate number of whom are black men, into the criminal justice system. Generally, those men entering the system tend to be in their 20s, the age at which many women embark on their educational and career aspirations. These men have significantly reduced employment and economic opportunities and are sometimes viewed as less viable partners. ...
[...71.6% of Black Men pay their agreed to or Court Awarded Child Support ... •1.37 to 1: The ratio of 18-24 year old Black Females enrolled in College to Black Males...]
Kuddos for the brothers handling their responsibilities!! When I was attending highschool, there were several of my male classmates who were either going on to college/university or who were looking at a polytechinical institution. SInce then, I've had my ten year and twenty year highschool reunion (although I only attended the 10 year) and most of the males are college graduates, married with families, and have good jobs providing for their families. I'd say that's good news from my own little small country town in S.C. but imagine the many more Black males who have done the same such as yourself Saint. ((smiles))
For me, I'm a bit biased because I think its two fold issue... One the media beating up Black women's image as undesirable and also the box (looking for only a certain color of man or a Black man only... overly Religious ... having too many stringent RULES of PERFECTION that no MAN can Meet not even JESUS) that we allow ourselves as women to be kept in.
I got married when I was almost 30 and waited to have a child a some years later. I think the statistics for marrying in 30's are probably more realistic for Black women now a days. My two cousins have finished their undergraduate programs and now are in their graduate programs. They are probably right now in their mid 20's. I talk to the older one more than the younger sister and she's told me that she would like to wait to get married until after she finishes her graduate degree. I hear this from women all over... on blogs, in the media, etc...
Of course if Black women continue to allow the Black church to hold us back with legalism for who to marry and when to marry... yes, many will continue to be single and lonely. Also if Black women want to look exclusively for Black American men to marry, perhaps there will be drawbacks to that as well. It seems to be a trend that nonBlack women "snap up" the Black professional men or financial well off Black men. I'm just saying...
Overall, if Black women take off some of these limitations in dating and meeting eligible and qualified men then perhaps more than 70% would be getting married.
ok maybe it's more than two fold... cause I mentioned more than two things!! ((Lol))
Friday, December 16th 2011 at 2:32PM
Jen Fad
@ Saint, [...The Israelite sistahs "rock it out" in my opinion!!!!!! ]
I know that's right... We have got to rock it out, because we are beautiful people that need to hear more of the stuff you just said not just on forums like this but in the media, on the radio, on the television, in magazines, etc... All that image battering affects one's out look on life and causes negative internalization and a poor self image.
It's no wonder when I see other Black women that they hardly even make eye contact with me. It's sad. I doubt anything will change regarding the media, but I believe that we have to feel good about who we are as Black women and affirm ourselves with positive self talk (affirming statements). We're worth it. Just the other day in the coffee shop, this young teenage girl was helping me at the counter so I made the statement to her that she was pretty; i went further to ask her how old she was. She thought that was funny when she told me that she was 18.
We as Black women need to say nice things to one another more often. Anyway, you know me... I can talk and talk. I'm really happy that you and Janelle are together. It's nice to know that there are other young couples doing the right things in life. Hopefully you and Janelle will have TWINS!!! ((Lol))
If this is a myth, does it make the Black unmarried female is the cause of the problems in America as proven by President L.B.J and backed the majority on this site??? (nup)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
...so sorry as there I go off topic as usual in talking about 'CULTURE' as seen in the theme of this blog. lol(smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
