(Pictured: Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950, founder of Black History Week)
Our history is rich in both of those areas. Yet, today over 70% of our kids are born to single mothers. This, even in view of significant data suggesting these children generally struggle in all key indicators of quality of life.
This is not our history. It was not our history even in slavery or the era of Jim Crow. But somehow we came to a fork in the road, and got on the path of a matriarchal family structure. And, our children have paid and are paying a dear price for that choice. Yes, in far too many instances, it is a choice to be a single mother. And, it is time we confront that head on and reverse this destructive trend.
And, no this is not sexism. And, no it is not wage discrimination. And, no it is not racism. It is realism. It is a destructive deviation from our history that must be corrected.
Black History Month, 2011 should mark a turning point!
1 comment:
Shreveport Times story on 2/16/2011 titled"Awareness event highlights teen pregnancy consequences." Story features a local high school, Woodlawn. It seems as though some 30 female students have become pregnant this year. "That equals 8.5% of Woodlawn's female students. Statewide, 5.4% of young women 15 to 19 gave birth in 2008. What the article does not say is that Woodlawn is 99.5% black. So, this is really a story not about teen pregnancy but black teen pregnancy.
It is exactly the kind of destructive behavior in our community that should be confronted and in not so gentle terms.
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