Last night, I had the opportunity to watch CNN's long anticipated Black Women and Families segment of the Black in America series. Disappointingly, the documentary was framed through an entirely heterosexist and patriarchial lens. Simply put, it assumed that every black woman should be married to a man. This is an outdated view of the black family structure. Not all black women need to or even want to be married to a man.
Having children out of wedlock is not the cause of the health, education, and income disparities facing the black community. While many single mothers would like to have a committed intimate partner, most of them will tell you that not having a man is the least of their problems. What they need most is more along the lines of reliable child care, health care, quality education, enrichment programs, job training, transportation and a network of family members and friends dedicated to helping in brining up the next generation.
Simply being married to a man does not necessarily improve a woman's quality of life, and in too many instances, such marriages can be oppressive to women.
It's true that studies show that two parent households, regardless of the parents' gender, are generally better for children than single parent households. But this does not mean that single parent households, equipped with necessary resources and support, cannot be equally as beneficial for children. For example, many single mothers rely on family members and friends to give additional emotional support and guidance to their children. And middle and upper class single moms can afford to provide for their children's needs on just one income.
CNN needs to realize that this is no longer 1950's America when all women were expected to live as subservient wives and forgo their career ambitions to cook and clean all day. Times are changing and women are feeling freer to live their lives as they choose. Marriage rates and out of wedlock births are not the best indicators of the overall well being of black America.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
On Wednesday, I knew something was wrong when a small, small portion of the show was actually speaking for and about black women. It was minimal and very disheartening. I must say, am I black?
Really, am I? Apparently, the black woman has a small role in the black community. Somehow our visibility is only, well, visible, when we talk about black men and their problems in our society. How did this happen?
When you speak of Us, you speak of our dependence on men to make us whole. It is never the flip-side for men.
When CNN talked of women being disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS in Wednesday's coverage, it was briefly addressed, and never mentioned in Thursday's observation and misinformation about black men's struggles. How are black women becoming infected?
I guess we have to hold our own. We are women of color and not realized for being black and not Black in America. Thanks, CNN.
Post a Comment