So i got some interesting responses to my
last post, and I was forced to think some more about my statements, views, and to (re-)examine some more of the available research..
First I want to say that I never intended to say that slavery itself was the cause of this so-called weakening of black family values.. No, not slavery, but, as I've tried to tell Ms W more than once: not slavery, but the
forced and systematic migration + dispersion of peoples without their families--- this, to me, seems like it would inevitably affect formation of black family values in the so-called New World... I'm not saying that slavery caused blacks to form families poorly. I'm simply saying that being dispersed across the globe would have to shake
the foundations of family and community development rituals for black people descended from the forced migrants who were mostly enslaved. How could it not?
And I feel like i should also explain what i mean by family values.
...when I look around, I feel like my black people lack the sort of intimate, healthy communities that I see amongst other peoples of color. I live in a historically predominantly Mexican neighborhood. They have Mexican groceries. They have parades there to celebrate Mexican history and people build their own successful businesses. These things don't tend to happen in mostly black neighborhoods. Even successful blacks don't build communities or promote traditions and pride of identity. But then I have a Ghanaian friend with whom I have attended a few gatherings of the Ghanaian community in Chicago: these are African people who came here independently. To/With their families. When I attend their gatherings I feel like it is one very big family. There is an instant comfort and closeness that I could sense, even though I'm not Ghanaian... They support each other to grow and be successful.....Asians of many countries can come to various cities of America and find a rich community of people who look like them (it seems that people will always prefer people who look like them, for the most part) and can even get help building successful independent businesses or they strive and excell and become professionals. These are almost cliches but they are based on common norms. Real life. Black people in America don't tend to support each other in significant ways. We don't build communities where there are black businesses everywhere. People are family-oriented, but their families don't tend to join other families to participate in rituals promoting a shared identity and heritage. I guess by family I meant community, pride, responsibility and belonging.
I think when I mentioned something about the collapse of the black family, Ms W took it to mean:
the rise of black female-headed families in the United States... Ricketts' very astute analysis finds that the rates of marriage for blacks was similar to that of whites during the years following slavery/reconstruction (1890-1950), and that the rise in rates of black female-headed families seems more related to the mid-20th century migration of blacks from rural into urban/industrial areas.
But I wasn't talking about single parent families. Furthermore, Ricketts's study find that blacks marriage rates were identical to that of whites until the 60s. But once blacks became increasingly urbanized (47% in 1930 vs. 86% in 1980, according to census stats..), Ricketts claims that the industrial/economic challenges which blacks have faced in urban life has had the effect of a noncommittal lifestyle for men, and, essentially, acceptance of this on the part of females. Joblessness breeds poor education breeds joblessness. Economic depression for urban blacks has made it difficult to predict and plan for the future, and people involve themselves in 'loose consensual unions...parenting children out of wedlock...[as] ways of simultaneously keeping one's options open and affirming one's self'.
As ways of affirming one's self: an attempt to develop something to be proud of. But it is short-sighted... And similarly for upper class and upwardly mobile blacks. The income difference between black women and men is small compared to that of whites (the eternal binary, we'll never get enough of it), and as things have improved for women, black women have responded by becoming more and more successful. Russ and Sawhill seem to have found that as things improve(d) for women on the job market, we should expect more nonmarriage and more family breakup. I guess the more that women had to rely on men, they're saying, the more marriages occurred and endured. Black women have become more successful but black men seem to have become less so. Lack of responsibility.
But all this marriage stuff is not the main point for me. When I speak of family values, I'm not talking merely talking about the formation and endurance of the basic nuclear family; yeah, that's part of it, but the emphasis is not simply on the rate of marriage and children born in or out of wedlock. I'm talking more about the formation of this nuclear family
and its active participation in a strong tradition, and forming a valued part of a community who share the same origins and traditions, and enjoy this through rituals which emphasize closeness, rites of passage and sustained growth and development of the same.
The fact that, beginning in the 60s, the black nuclear family (in the US ?only?) seems to have begun to break down, suggests there was a lack of foundation (so to speak) for blacks to stand on as they became urbanized. A good point that Ricketts makes: blaming black family-formation patterns on slavery is simply placing blame in the past and essentially giving up on trying to improve this situation (we can't change the past).
We can change the situation if we
demand nothing less than this change. The foundation that seems to be missing is a strong sense of pride, responsibility and belonging. This is what you feel when you are born into a culture with a inherited knowledge of a rich and proud tradition and heritage.
Blacks in America have a conflicted, uncertain knowledge of our heritage. We know we came from slaves, and for this we can feel privileged, to be the descendants of such strong survivors. But most of us can't trace our origins further than a few generations, to some place down south. Some of us can claim a rather abstract African pride, but even this is complicated when we realize that
our illustrious 'African ancestors' were just as ruthless and capitalistic as those who shipped and sold us across the ocean!
So the fragile pride and self-esteem of the black child growing up in America must be nurtured
early, often, and thoroughly, to help her overcome the adversarial obstacles coming from all sides... Its certainly true that the lifestyles and family formation patterns of blacks have been affected by life in the euro-centric West. That's a good and bad thing. Blacks in America have, perhaps, better access to resources than blacks in other parts of the world including Africa, but we lack a sense of purpose. We have inherited uncertain traditions which will lead us to repeat the sins of our fathers, because that's what people do: whatever they see the people around them doing.
We need to create institutions to stimulate emotional and intellectual and social growth,- to engender self-pride, responsibility and belonging. If you have a vision, include others don't just exploit people and opportunities. Make it good.. Demand your respect NOW and forget about reparations: we have to work on creating a new future but not just talk shit. Work with purpose. We can affirm the wisdom and recognize the tragedies of the past but we need to focus on how to make changes for now and ever. Education and information are necessary. We can't keep responded to uncertainty without a plan!
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